


Exaltation

by cactus_junkie



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Age Difference, Alpha Hannibal Lecter, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Bonding, Bottom Will Graham, Everything works out for Will and Hannibal in the end, F/F, Forced Pregnancy, Freeform, Hannibal Lecter Loves Will Graham, Hannibal Lecter is a Cannibal, Infant Death, Knotting, M/M, Mason Verger is evil, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Miscarriages, Mpreg, Omega Will Graham, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Possessive Hannibal Lecter, Post Mpreg, Protective Hannibal Lecter, Rape, Rape/Non-con Elements, Slow Burn, Someone Help Will Graham, Therapy, Top Hannibal Lecter, Underage Sex, Underage Will Graham, Violence, What am I even doing writing this, Will is a Mess, Young Will Graham, major angst, minor Will Graham/OC, this is a mess
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-27
Updated: 2018-09-05
Packaged: 2019-05-29 06:10:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 22
Words: 132,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15066854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cactus_junkie/pseuds/cactus_junkie
Summary: “Trying to cast yourself in a certain light won’t make me react the way you wish I would, but I understand why you’re doing it. I’m not leaving, Will.”“And why do you think I’m doing it?” Will asked through gritted teeth, swallowing the burning, harsh lump in his throat.“Because you cannot fathom that anyone would want you knowing what you did. What you are. But what you are, Will Graham,” Hannibal rumbled, “is astonishing. You are stronger than anyone I have ever met and I find myself completely helpless to you. Devoted to you, even if you would push me away for seeing past the lies you tell the world. I don’t care for lies Will, I don’t care for what is right orwrong. Such things do not and never will apply to you. You’re exempt from it all.”“I am terrified Hannibal. I’m terrified of the world and how I’m supposed to fit in to it.”“You don’t have to fit in to anything, mylimasis. And if there is ever a reason that you do need to, I will carve the world to fit aroundyou.”***Will is snatched from the streets when he is 14. He suffers at Mason's hand for years, experiencing the most awful acts of violence. After Mason, Hannibal Lecter become his new life.





	1. First

**Author's Note:**

> So I have absolutely no idea where I'm going with this. I have an EXTREMELY loose, rough draft/plan for this story and wrote it at four in the morning so I'm really sorry for any mistakes. Please bear with me.

Louisiana was hot that afternoon, the close sweltering heat sitting uncomfortably around his shoulders and neck. Will had felt too hot all day, constantly swiping beads of sweat away from his forehead, the back of his neck and his upper lip. It was starting to become unbearable, but Will just kept wiping away the sweat. 

He’d finished school and headed straight to the angling shop that was ten minutes away from the trailer park where he and his father lived. Will stopped by it nearly every week, gazing longingly in at the window displays of shining fishing tackle with wonder in his eyes. Today was no different. He slowed as he approached the shop, hitching his back pack over his shoulder a little as it slipped. God, he was sweating so much. He scrubbed a hand through his damp curls, back from his forehead, and gazed in at the display eagerly. He was so lost in staring at all the new tackle that he didn’t notice the figure approaching him in the reflection of the glass. It wasn’t until the hand clamped down on his shoulder that he realised he’d been seized, another hand clamped over his mouth to cut his screams short and smother him with the chemical soaked rag that sent him falling back into unconsciousness. 

There was no one else on the street to see the fourteen year old boy be dragged into the waiting car except the sun that continued to blaze away above them. 

*

When Will woke up he was still sweating. His head throbbed and he gagged on the taste festering in his mouth, sticking to his gums and teeth and tongue. His eyes were bleary, his vision spinning. The blurry vision wasn’t entirely new, as he hadn’t had a pair of glasses for months now, not since Gregory Aspin had punched him in the face and broke his old ones; him and his dad couldn’t afford things like new prescription glasses. When his vision came to he was in a stark white room. There was nothing in the room with him other than the bed he lay on. The bed he was tied to, in fact, as he tried to move only to find there were thick leather cuffs restraining his wrists and ankles. 

What the fuck was this? 

Will bit his tongue to keep back his cry of ‘hello’, quickly realising whoever had put him here did not have good intentions and he wanted to go as long as possible without having them in this room. 

His dad was going to kill him. He’d be sick with worry, furious that Will hadn’t come home. Was it still the same day even? There was nothing but a slither of a window in the wall that the headboard of the bed was pushed against, his view of the sky extremely limited. It was still light outside, but that didn’t mean much. He could have been unconscious for days, or a few hours. He had no way of knowing. All he knew was that he was too hot. 

Will lay there for hours. He watched the thin strip of window display the moving sun, watched the sky change. He was still sweating and his skin was itching and even his teeth didn’t feel right in his own head. Had they drugged him? He could see no signs of any needle punctures on his arms, but that wasn’t to say there weren’t injection sites in his neck or anywhere else on his body he couldn’t see. Will had been pushing down the panic attack for a good few hours now, but it was slowly starting to creep up on him. His lungs felt too small, shrivelled in his chest as he desperately attempted to suck enough air in. It felt like his skull would crack in two at any moment, searing pain licking over his brain. He twitched involuntarily in the restraints, spasms wracking through his muscles and his vision began to blur even more. 

He started sobbing softly, turning his head into the pillow he rested on and rubbing his face against it for comfort as he cried. 

This wasn’t right. This wasn’t normal, this feeling wasn’t natural. 

The door to the room opened after what felt like another hour. Will barely had the energy to roll his eyes towards to door. 

A woman stood there, softly shutting the door behind her before Will had time to catch a glance of what lay beyond the door. She was utterly non-descriptive. Mousy hair, uninteresting facial features other than a slight scar underneath her left eye, excruciatingly normal height and weight. Will sniffed the air. Beta. 

“Hello William,” she murmured gently. 

“What is this?” he croaked, amazed his voice still worked. 

“You’re in heat,” she replied as she stepped forwards to the bed, noting Will’s flinch. “You’ve presented as an Omega.”

Will swallowed. “How do you... why am I here?” 

Will received no reply to this. She simply stepped closer and closer until she came to the side of the bed. Will noticed the small bag with her. She placed it next to him on the bed and unzipped it, pulling out a water bottle. In a matter of seconds, it was unscrewed and held to Will’s lips and he frantically gulped it down. 

“Careful,” she warned. “Don’t drink too quickly; you’ll upset your stomach.” 

“What’s going to happen to me?” Will rasped out, eyes pleading. 

She averted her eyes and ignored him again. She then slowly let Will finish the water bottle and then reached underneath the bed to pull out a small white basin. 

“Do you need to relieve yourself?” she enquired, her face completely blank. 

Will blushed. “I..” 

She unclasped the restraints around his wrists and ankles and helped him to his wobbling feet. “I suggest you take up the offer now. I’ll only be returning every couple of hours to feed you, make sure you drink and give you the chance to relieve yourself.” 

Will shuddered. “Can... I just- can you please turn around?” 

She sighed and very gradually half turned her back, still poised to act. Will quickly made use of her offer and used the white basin, cringing at every single bit about this God awful situation. When he was done, she turned back round, strapped him back into the restraints, spoon fed him a pleasantly warm dish of salmon and rice and then left him alone, taking the basin with her. The door shut and he was alone again. 

Heat. He was in heat. In a room on his own, with no idea where the fuck he was and some random Beta woman was spoon feeding him and making him piss in a pot. His very first heat. He hadn’t know he was an Omega. He was supposed to be a Beta, not a fucking Omega. He was so ordinary, so... so not-Omega that it made his skin crawl to even acknowledge what was going on. He had the social skills of a rock, he wasn’t graceful or delicate and he liked to go fishing for God’s sake, the most adventurous thing Omegas did was fucking ballet. He was everything an Omega shouldn’t be and he was absolutely terrified of what this heat was going to do to him. 

His groin throbbed and another sob escaped his lips. 

After a few hours the heat took hold of him and wrecked his body. He couldn’t remember what happened, there was nothing other than vacant flashes of consciousness; snapshots of mousy blonde hair pushing water bottles to his mouth, aches in his bones and his blood that sang out so badly he wanted to peel his skin off, his entire pelvic area feeling like he’d been impaled and flayed alive all at once as the days crept by and he still found no relief. He wanted to hold and touch and grab and scream and thrust but he couldn’t; all he could do was writhe in agony on slick soaked sheets and wail. 

When it passed, he felt liked he’d had every drop of blood drained from his body. He couldn’t move, he couldn’t even lift his eyelids for more than a few minutes. He was beyond exhausted. He had, however, survived. 

A few more days passed and he was starting to become hopeless. His dad was going to be out of his mind and there were probably people looking for him. He just wished he knew where he was. The woman said nothing to him whenever he asked any questions. She merely said hello most of the time and then tended to the quivering Omega in silence.  
Will had nearly regained his strength back when she came to him one day with two other people. Two other surly looking betas that didn’t made eye contact and didn’t listen when he gasped in pain at their unforgiving hold on him when they removed him from the room. The woman simply gazed at him as he was dragged from the room, her face blank as always. 

He was blindfolded as soon as he was out of the door he’d been staring at for what must have been two weeks and unceremoniously carried down a flight of stairs and out the building. The fresh air hit his skin and he’d never felt more amazing than he did in that minute, he sucked in a good lungful of air before being jostled into a vehicle – he assumed he was in the back of a van – and then felt dread settle heavily in his stomach as the van began to move. 

He wasn’t sure how long they drove for, but it felt roughly like an hour. The van slowed to a stop and more jostling, more carrying and then he was dumped on his knees. He was kept blindfolded with his hands bound behind his back until footsteps approached and a pair of strong, calloused hands forced his mouth open and shoved a gag past his lips. He moaned softly in fear when those hands started to rip his clothes from him until he was completely naked. He could hear the distant murmur of a large group of people and he shuddered. Was that a good thing? Would he be able to scream out and ask them to help him or was this just another awful and bizarre part of this whole experience?  
A while later he was shoved to his feet again and what he can only assume is a collar is secured around his throat. It has a leash, and he’s dragged along by it.  
The voices are not muffled any longer. They were strong and ringing in his ears and he wants to crawl into a ball and cry and whimper and he wants his dad. He’s dragged forwards a few more paces and then his handler stops. The voices slowly dissipate into silence and his skin prickles at the knowledge there are eyes staring at his naked body. 

“Thank you ladies and gentlemen.” 

The voice is male, strong and resonates around the room and is very clearly not from Louisiana. Where is he? 

“Here we have Number 12,” the voice begins, sounding as if he’s speaking into a microphone. “Male Omega, fourteen years of age and originating from Louisiana. He’s a sweet natured little thing and has just had his first heat a few days ago. He’s unmated, not bonded and is a virgin. It’s a real shame to let this one go, which is why I’ll be starting bidding at seventy thousand.” 

The rest is a blur after that. Will takes the time to process the fact he’s being sold off in some sort of fucked up Omega auction and he is without a doubt going to be raped at some point in the future. Will tried his best to keep his whimpers locked inside his chest and shivers at bay, the only thing he could do in front of all these people, as he didn’t want them to have the satisfaction of seeing a trembling little Omega. He knew he stank of fear; his pheromones were behaving erratically now he’d presented.

“Last bid at three hundred and fifty thousand,” the voice called out. “Going once... twice...” 

Will swallowed. 

“Sold! Congratulations Mr. Verger.”


	2. Second

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will meets Mason and his own personal Hell begins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains some pretty bad angst, descriptions of rape, violence and miscarriage.

Mason spent a long time just observing the Omega. He’d been delivered to Muskrat Farm promptly after his purchase of the boy, and all he’d done since he had arrived was sob. Mason let him cry, staring in wonder at the sheer quantity of tears that rolled down his face. Mason enjoyed the Omega’s tears. 

Will couldn’t stop trembling. His body quivered like a trembling feather and he couldn’t stop the tears. He was still blindfolded, still naked, still tied up. He’d been placed on a bed and left to simply bleed salty tears into the pillow. He was well aware of the presence of the other man in the room; he could hear him breathing, hear him clear his throat occasionally. He didn’t come near him; he did not utter a word to him. Will just felt his eyes on him the whole time. 

“You really do have a remarkable capacity for crying, don’t you?” 

Will flinched at the voice, grating on his ears and making his stomach churn in disgust. The voice sent shivers down his spine, made his skin crawl. Will couldn’t summon his voice, so he simply bit down on his lower lip with tremendous force to cease his pathetically Omegan whimpers. 

“Are you quite done yet?” the voice mused. “I’d like to finally introduce myself.” 

Will tamped down on the next sob and held his breath, trying to focus on his breathing. His chest ached from the hyperventilating. He heard footsteps, felt the air prickle at the Alpha’s approach. A hand cautiously traced down the bare skin of him arm and Will gritted his teeth at the touch, trying his hardest not to jerk away from the unwanted contact. The hand stayed on his arm, resting just below his shoulder. 

“Mason Verger,” he stated smoothly. “And your name is?” 

Will sucked in a sharp breath. “Will.” 

He sounded so broken already. 

“Will,” Mason repeated. 

There was silence then, sitting in the air between them like a third person in the room. Will wanted to rip his blindfold off, wriggle his way out of his restraints and run. His limbs ached so badly from the position he’d been forced into for so long and his neck felt wrecked. Mason watched the Omega breathe, watched the pull of skin over his delicate ribs as his chest rose and fell. He wanted to run his tongue over every available expanse of creamy Omega skin before him, wanted to wrench the boy’s head back and sink his teeth into his lovely little throat. He settled for stroking his thick, glossy brown curls, twining strands around his fingers. His hand travelled downwards, over his back to where his hands resided in their thick leather cuffs. 

He deftly released the straps, letting the cuffs fall away. The Omega gasped, his lips falling open softly as he hesitantly pulled his arms up to his naked chest, curling in on himself even more. 

“Thank you,” Will mumbled, quivering. 

Mason reached for the blindfold next, cradling the boy’s head as he rid him of the blindfold. Mason grinned at the startlingly beautiful face of his Omega.  
His milky skin was so satisfyingly smooth, stretched wondrously over the bones of his jaw and cheek bones. His nose rested rather marvellously between his full, plump coral lips and piercing sky blue eyes, thick and long lashes fluttering as his sight adjusted. Mason hummed in appreciation. Will’s eyes finally settled on him and Mason held his gaze. 

“My, my,” Mason grinned wolfishly. “I know people who’d pay thousands for those eyes. Pluck them out and keep them in a pretty little jar. What do you think, Will?” 

Will let out a choked sound and shrank back from Mason, but a hand clamped down on his shoulder to pin him in place. 

“Mason pl-lease,” Will gritted out through clenched teeth. “I want to go home.” 

“But this is your home Will,” Mason smiled again, his eyes glinting. “Your new home. With me.” 

“I... this isn’t ok, you can’t just keep me here!” Will burst out, tears brimming in his eyes again. 

“But I purchased you. For quite a lot of money too,” Mason sneered. “And you’re going to give me my money’s worth.” 

“I don’t understand,” Will whispered, fresh tears spilling past his eye sockets and down his face. 

Mason’s jaw twitched and he let go of him. He rose slowly, eyes drifting over Will’s body until they rested on his face. “You don’t understand... I’m sure that’s not true. Come now Will, surely you can’t be that stupid?” 

“I don’t understand,” Will repeated, blinking his tears away. “I don’t know what’s going on, I just... I want to go back to my dad. Please, Mason, I just - ”

“You may as well count your father deceased because you’re never going to see him again. You’re not in Louisiana any more Will.”

“What do you want from me?” Will cried, exasperated and desperate. 

“Just a few simple things,” Mason replied softly, a slow smile following his response. “Fun, mainly. But you’re an Omega Will. Use your brain and I’m sure you can remember the whole point of Omegas.” 

Before Will could say anything else, Mason turned and walked away from him, leaving Will alone on the bed. He threw Will one last lingering look before he slipped out of the door. Will clenched his fists when he heard the door lock from the other side. 

He was sick of being left alone on beds in locked rooms. 

The room itself was bland. There wasn’t much in the room other than a bed, a wardrobe and Will. There was another door to the side of him, one that Mason hadn’t gone through. He slowly crept up from the bed, his legs shaky and coltish after not being used for so long. When his trembling fingers pushed the door handle down, the door swung inwards to reveal a bathroom. It was like the room; the bare necessities of a toilet, a sink and a shower. 

Will turned to look at the window in the bedroom and observed. Dense thickets of evergreens composed a forest near the building, but Will couldn’t see much else. He most definitely was not in Louisiana anymore, just like Mason had said. Will stayed by the window for hours, wondering if anyone would pass by and see him. Maybe he could scream and wave and get their attention and they would call the police. Of course, nobody walked past and the only thing that changed was the position of the sun above him. It started to grow dark, but Will remained there. The window did open, he discovered, but only a crack. Not enough for him to even get an arm through. There was no window in the bathroom, and even if there had been Will knew it would have been the same design. 

The door rattled, and Will’s heart shot to his throat. 

That was the first time Margot ever saw Will. 

Frozen, pale and terrified by the window. It was an image she would always have of the Omega, one that would often be repeated. 

Will took in her apologetic, round eyes; her sad turned down mouth and felt her misery. Just like he’d felt Mason’s sadism. She looked like him. The same blonde hair and although their eyes held different emotions, they were similar. 

She swallowed. “I brought you some food. I’m Margot by the way.” 

Will said nothing and simply watched her place the tray containing a bowl of steaming pasta down his bed. 

“I... I made it myself,” she murmured. “It’s not great but... I thought you might like something hot and filling to eat.” 

“Thank you,” Will murmured, wincing at how hoarse and scratchy his voice sounded. 

Neither of them moved, simply staying still in their places in the room. 

“I’ll leave you to it then,” she said quietly, casting her eyes down and turning. 

“Wait!” 

She stopped, looking back at him. 

“Can you... can you please tell me what’s going on?” Will begged, his eyes shining. “I’m so confused.” 

“Did Mason not tell you anything?” Margot queried. “No, I don’t suppose he would have done. He... well, he bought you. Illegally from an Omega trafficking ring.” 

“What does he want?” 

“An heir, apparently,” Margot replied thin lipped and grimacing. “I’m sorry.”

“I didn’t even know I was an Omega,” Will stuttered out. “I don’t know anything about all of this.” 

“You’re so young...” Margot sighed. “Mason isn’t a good man and I would say I’m sorry for what he’s probably going to do to you but I doubt it will make the slightest bit of difference.” 

“He’s going to breed me,” Will dead panned, swallowing dryly. “He’s going to make me... make me - ”

“It’s best not to think about it,” Margot hushed him, interrupting. “I’ll do what I can to care for you but there’s only so much I can do. I’m so sorry.” 

“Why can’t you help me get out of here?” Will pleaded. “You could get me out, couldn’t you?” 

“No,” Margot huffed out, half smiling as her own tears started to form. “No, I can’t. I’m a prisoner here just as much as you are. The only difference is that I’m his sister. He has to let me out sometimes; otherwise people would start to question him.” 

“Please,” Will mumbled, his throat getting thick with the brewing storm of sobs again. “Please Margot.” 

“I’m sorry,” she repeated. “There’s nothing I can do. He’ll kill me, kill you... I – I can’t.” 

Will simply stood there staring at her in desperation, his head swirling with hurt and dread. 

She shook her head as tears began to cluster in her eyes, turning quickly and leaving the room. It locked again behind her. 

Will simply sat down next to the tray and stared at the pasta until it went cold. When he started to feel faint with hunger hours later he used a shaking hand to pick up the cutlery and eat, sobbing miserably the whole time. 

 

Months passed, and the only other face Will saw was Margot’s. She brought him meals every day without fail, and he slowly nurtured the soft spot for the other Omega he felt developing. He wanted to hate her, wanted to completely despise her for her refusal to help him escape. But he couldn’t hate those soft, sad eyes and uncertain smiles. She was kind hearted and treated Will gently and he was grateful for the one comfort he had at Muskrat Farm. Margot slowly started to divulge information to him, and he learned that he was in Maryland. He learned of the Verger’s Meat Packaging Dynasty, of the pigs and the abattoir and of Mason’s sick, twisted nature. He learnt of the abuse Margot suffered under her brother’s rule, of their cruel father’s will and of Margot’s wishes for Mason to die. Will didn’t blame her wanting him dead. He was awful to her.  
Margot informed him that Mason hadn’t bothered with Will yet because he was waiting for Will’s next heat. 

Will prayed every day that it wouldn’t come, but it did. His heat started three months after his arrival at Muskrat Farm and Mason returned to him.  
He locked the door behind him and made no hesitation in pinning Will to the bed. Will begged and sobbed as coherently as he could, for what he wasn’t sure. Sometimes he begged Mason to fill him, fuck him and relieve the unbearable ache that crawled through every nerve in his body. Sometimes he begged Mason to stop, to get off of him, to please stop hurting him. 

But Mason never listened to him, even when Will begged him to fuck him. He’d simply refuse Will when he begged to be filled, preferring to leave the Omega writhing and sobbing as slick dripped down his legs. When Will begged him to stop, he carried on. He’d dig his nails in deeper, hold Will so tightly he bruised and sink his teeth maliciously into tender parts of Will’s body. After the first few hours of Will’s heat, the fourteen year old was littered with purple star bursts on his neck, his wrists and thighs and there were oozing bloody bite marks on his ribs, his stomach and collar bones. Will drifted into unconsciousness a lot, not that it mattered to Mason. He couldn’t care less if the Omega was awake or not, as long as he got to drag his body over his cock and knot him, to sink his teeth in and claim. 

On the third day of Will’s heat, Mason was fucking him on all fours. He gripped Will’s curls and forced his head into the mattress and snarled as he fucked him, ignoring the Omega’s whimpers and sobs. Just as he forced his knot past the tight, slippery ring of muscle, he lay himself over Will and buried his teeth into the tender mating gland in the back of Will’s neck. 

A few months ago Will would never have dreamt he would be a bonded Omega at fourteen, locked inside of a cold, sterile manor in Maryland, getting fucked by an Alpha twice his age who’d bought him from a trafficking ring. 

Will spent the rest of heat dazed, every muscle and joint in his body screaming every time Mason pushed him back down into the bed and ruthlessly took him. He managed to think of home in those moments. He thought of his father’s beat up old trailer and the crackling radio that sat in the kitchen and of how his father would sit down and listen to it every night with a bottle of whiskey in his lap. He thought of the heat, the humidity and the sun. He thought of their creaky little fishing boat and the cold waters he’d leap into to cool down on their fishing trips. He thought of his mother’s gumbo pot, of the stray dog he fed on the way to school and of his favourite ice cream stand he’d visit when he saved up enough money fixing old boat motors. He thought of Louisiana summer nights when the stars would glow above him in the inky sky and he’d whisper to the moon as he lay on the roof of the rusty trailer he called home. Will lost himself in those sacred little memories and clung to them for dear life as Mason ripped his skin and bruised his flesh. 

It helped, a little. 

Mason returned two weeks after his heat. He strode into the bedroom, grinning at Will. “It’s time!” 

Will weakly lifted his eyes. “Time?” 

“Time to see,” Mason hissed with a manic grin. 

He all but threw the box containing a pregnancy test at Will’s head. Will stared at it, the sight alone of that little box making his stomach flip inside of him. “I don’t think - ”

“Nonsense,” Mason cut him off. “Do it. I expect you to do this after every heat Will.” 

Will wearily picked up the box and inched into the bathroom. He shut the door behind him and tried his hardest not to hyperventilate as he clumsily unpackaged the little stick and used it with shaking hands. 

He wiped it clean and thrust it back to Mason after he exited the bathroom, not wanting to look at the damned thing. “Here you go.” 

Mason snatched it from him and then vanished from the room again. 

That night Mason returned again, his face blank. He shut the door behind him and watched Will for a very long, silent moment. 

“I’m disappointed Will,” Mason uttered, his voice low. 

Will swallowed when he stepped forwards, sensing the anger pulsing through their bond. “I’m sorry.” 

“Next time, I really do hope you don’t disappoint me,” Mason warned him, grinning like a shark. 

Will half expected the first blow, but it was still a shock at the same time. He’d known at some point Mason would attack him like this, Margot had said so, but it still shocked him nonetheless. It still hurt when Mason’s hands struck his face again and again, when he shoved him to floor and his shoes landed between his ribs and collided with his back and chest. It still shocked him and still surprised him when Mason wrenched his trousers and underwear down and dug his fingers into Will’s mating bite and forced his way inside of Will, dry and unprepared. He bled, and it only seemed to encourage Mason. He tried to scramble free at first, but he was dizzy and his body was singing with sharp stabbing pains and Mason was so much stronger than him. He felt Mason lift his head up by fisting a handful of his curls, only to slam his face against the floorboards. Once, twice, three times and then a fourth for good measure. Will was just grateful his teeth didn’t seem to come loose. 

Mason shoved away from him when he came, groaning into Will’s neck with hot breath. He rose to his feet, dragged his hand across his mouth as he observed the bloody, still Omega at his feet. 

“Next time, Will,” Mason smiled softly. 

 

Next time rolled around three months later, and Mason was even worse during his second heat with him. He struck Will repeatedly, ripped his hair out and left bites so deep Will couldn’t stop the bleeding afterwards. Mason had to call upon the aid of a nurse that worked for him to tend to Will’s wounds when he found the boy passed out from blood loss the day after his heat finished. The nurse said nothing, but the expression in her eyes was grim when she patched Will up. She didn’t even look him in the face. Mason came every day after that heat, simply coming to his room every day for an hour or so to either berate Will for not being more resilient to Mason’s treatment or to simply stare at him. When he finally brought another pregnancy test to Will, Will wanted to scream and hurl himself against the window. He did no such thing, of course, and simply plucked the box from Mason’s hands and went to the bathroom. He gave it back to Mason and Mason stayed in the room this time. Ten minutes passed and Will refused to look at that horrific plastic stick. 

Mason was frowning. “Nothing’s come up. Nothing to say it’s negative or positive.” 

Will felt sick. 

“Oh well. Guess you’ll know soon enough,” Will muttered, keeping his eyes on the floor. 

Mason grunted and left him alone again. 

That night Margot brought him dinner, and she sat on the bed with him, warily observing the bandages on his body that covered Mason’s bites and scratches. 

“What day is it?” Will murmured softly, breaking their silence. “I’ve lost track.” 

“Tuesday,” Margot replied. “January 17th.” 

“Oh,” Will breathed. “It was my birthday yesterday.” 

Margot gave him a weak, broken smile. 

Will just blinked and looked down at his dinner. 

Another two weeks passed, and Mason visited him again. He was angry about something; Will could feel it in the tweaking of their bond and Will could see Mason’s body practically vibrating with anger. He could smell it in the oozing pheromones that leaked from Mason, filling their air with an unbearable weight. Mason wasted no time in reaching for him and Will just hoped he wouldn’t break his nose this time. He’d learned it was easier to simply let Mason take his anger out on him, because any noise or movement from Will enraged his Alpha even further. A few bruises were far more preferable than cracked ribs and a concussion. Mason just took what he needed from the Omega, which was why Will was here anyway. Mason didn’t care how badly it hurt Will when he crowded him against the wall and shoved his clothes away, breaching Will brutally and fucking him against the wall. 

Will had gotten good at crying silently. 

Except the pain this time was different. This time when Mason beat him and raped him, there were sharp stabbing pains in his abdomen and the Omega in him wailed. 

“Mason, please!” 

“Shut up,” Mason hissed, cracking Will’s head against the wall. 

“Mason something is wrong, pl - ”

“I told you to be quiet!” 

Mason sunk his teeth back into the mating bite, as he quite often liked to do, moaning at the blood that surged forth under his fangs. 

Will sobbed helplessly as Mason finished, his chest heaving as the Alpha’s hips stuttered into him and he released inside of Will. Will felt the room spin around him and bile scorched his throat, his body forcing him to vomit against the wall Mason still had him pinned against. 

“Something is wrong, something isn’t right Mason,” Will babbled incoherently, shaking violently. 

“Disgusting little pig,” Mason seethed, striking Will across the face as the Omega tumbled from his grip to the floor. 

It was only when Mason saw the unusually large amount of blood exiting his mate’s entrance that he realised what Will meant. 

 

“How many weeks was it?” Mason asked bluntly. 

“Your Omega was three weeks along in his pregnancy,” the doctor replied remotely, glancing down at said Omega, unconscious and wrapped up in sheets in his bed and looking so very small and fragile. 

Mason said nothing and bid the doctor his leave. Margot watched quietly in the corner, heartbroken for Will. 

“How dare he,” Mason breathed, barely a whisper. “How dare he keep this from me.” 

“He didn’t know Mason,” Margot interjected, crossing her arms over his chest. 

“He did,” Mason snarled, whirling round to face her. “He must have known.”

Margot just pressed her lips together and prayed that Mason wouldn’t beat Will into an early grave when he finally woke up. 

 

Another three months passed. Mason spent his heat with him, and they carried out their usual procedure afterwards. Mason made him take two tests this time.  
They were both negative. 

 

Another three months. Negative again. 

 

Another three months and this time it was positive. Will miscarried anyway, despite Mason refraining from laying a finger on him. He was five week pregnant when his stomach cramped up and he spent the next few hours dispelling blood into the toilet of the little white bathroom. 

He cried that night. He cried a lot. 

The months continued like that until it blurred into one big cycle. Margot watched him deteriorate as he spent day after day inside of the same room, counting the hours until his next heat hit and Mason visited him. She watched more injuries appear every time his womb remained empty, and watched him miscarry each time he became pregnant, either because of the stress that his cracked psyche couldn’t handle or because of Mason’s sadistic fits of rage that left Will sobbing and broken on his bed. She watched him grow older, watched his body change along with who he was. The timid, sweet Omega that had arrived at Muskrat Farm was left behind and Margot watched him become cold, empty and blank. Glazed over like a statue, a very pretty scarred statue that simply stood by its window every day and chewed the food it was presented with every day without really tasting it. She watched him grow silent. 

Until one day it changed. 

Will finished his heat, not feeling the severity of the bites and bruising holds anymore. He entered his heat with a small pool of dread sitting in his chest as usual, endured it in a haze of confusion and came out on the other side feeling sore and filled with an even bigger sense of dread. 

Mason was oddly attentive after this heat. He lay with Will afterwards, something he hadn’t done since Will’s second heat with him when he was fourteen. He rested himself behind Will, wrapping himself around the Omega to cradle him.

“This time,” Mason whispered into his bloody, oozing mating bite that he liked to open every time Will had a heat. 

Will just stared at the wall. 

Will felt sick in moments like this. The Omega in him purred in enjoyment at the feel of his Alpha wrapped around him, desperate to nuzzle into Mason’s neck and scent him and stretch across his body and taste his skin. The other part of him wanted to put as much distance as possible between Mason and himself, wanted to rip the man’s throat out and gouge his eyes and break his neck. He never did either of these things, fighting both sides of his instincts. He simply lay limp in his Alpha’s arms, suppressing shudders when Mason’s hands stroked softly over his stomach and rubbed circles into his navel. Being an Omega was the most difficult thing in the world, Will had decided, and he loathed his bond. He detested being tied to a creature like Mason, because despite his contempt and hatred for the Alpha, his bond forced him to care about him. It made him want to lay down in front of a speeding train if it meant Mason would be happy. 

In the days after his heat, Will found himself nesting. Nesting might not have been the appropriate term for it, considering he couldn’t make much of a nest with a single duvet and two pillows to which he added towels from the bathroom. It did little to comfort him but it was better than nothing. 

He observed as his body went through the usual tell tale signs of pregnancy. He cringed every time he rubbed his swelling abdomen out of instinct, every time he threw up in the bathroom and every time he devoured bigger portions of food that Margot brought him. He slept more, felt his body ache in the usual places and his insides twisted between his hips. Mason didn’t make him take pregnancy tests anymore. He’d grown tired of seeing negative tests and positive ones that only resulted in bloody miscarriages weeks later. Will had started to lose track of the number of miscarriages, which disgusted him, but there had been so many in the past three years that his mind had blocked the experiences from his memory in order to preserve him somewhat. From the little Will knew about Omegas, they needed psychological treatment after a certain amount of miscarriages; the experience broke some Omegas. Will wondered what else he would have learned about Omegas if he had never been snatched from the street that day. He would have been taught things about his sexuality and biology in school, would have socialised with other Omegas and would have just lived as a normal fucking person.  
But here he was. Pregnant for the umpteenth time and staring at the same four walls that had encased him for three years. 

 

A month passed and there was no miscarriage. Mason was ecstatic. Will grimaced. 

In the second month Will’s stomach sported a soft little bump and Will wanted to throw up every time he saw Mason look at it with glinting eyes. 

In the third month Mason arranged for a doctor to make regular checkups on Will to monitor the pregnancy. 

In the fourth month Will cried a lot and woke up screaming and sweating from night terrors. 

In the fifth month, Margot held a trembling hand against the bump and smiled at Will with tears in her eyes. 

In the sixth month Will started imagining what the baby would look like and smiled when he thought of having a tiny little body cradled in his arms. 

In the seventh month Mason visited Will almost every couple of hours and gushed to Will about how proud he was, and how it had better be an Alpha. 

In the eight month Will’s ankles swelled and Margot rubbed Will’s back and sang softly to him whilst he fell asleep at night. 

In the ninth month Will finally realised how terrified he actually was. 

He went into labour in the middle of the night, and fought with every ounce of strength he had to bring his child into the world. Mason had arranged for a midwife to help him, which Will supposed he was grateful for. After 5 hours of long, gruelling pain Will delivered the baby. Mason granted him all of fifteen minutes to hold the bundle of whimpering infant to his chest and feed the baby before he simply eased Will’s child out of his arms and carried it out of the room. 

Will had been too dazed to even ask if it was a boy or a girl. 

He was too drugged up on painkillers to realise what had happened in that moment, but when he came to the next day he practically screamed Muskrat Farm down to the ground.


	3. Third

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will sees red and Margot gets her hands dirty. Jack and Alana find themselves paying a hospital visit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a pretty grim chapter so be prepared for violence and some upsetting stuff. 
> 
> Thank you so much to all the lovely people who have commented! I'm going to get round to replying to you all at some point today! Your comments spur me on, so thank you <3

Will recognised, somewhere in the back of his mind, how animalistic he was when he woke up. Somewhere pinned beneath the weight of the feral Omega instincts that rushed forwards, Will the seventeen year old boy watched the scene unfurl in front of his eyes. He watched as his hands clawed at the door that barricaded him inside of this Godforsaken room and watched the skin break around his nails and his knuckles when he resorted to slamming his fists into the wood. Whatever locks Mason had installed on the door, they were serving their purpose beautifully. 

Will began to throw his body at the door, not once wincing when his shoulders jolted with the pain from the contact. He was screaming, he also recognised in the back of his mind, an awful snarling sound that rang inside of his room. The fact he had given birth a few hours ago didn’t seem to matter to the Omega side of Will, as he had somehow mustered up a new found strength he had never experienced before, which was a surprising amount considering he weighed next to nothing. After his first year at Muskrat Farm, Mason had interfered with the one role Margot got to play in Will’s life. He began dictating to Margot what Will’s meals should consist of, gleefully watching the Omega lose weight rapidly over the last two years. It made him all the easier to pin down and fuck, which Mason revelled in. Margot tried to slip him extra bits of food when she could, but nine times out of ten Mason would inspect Will’s meals before Margot came to his room. 

Will’s shoulders were bruising and his throat was growing hoarse from his screaming and yelling, but he didn’t stop. He was pretty sure his knuckles were broken and he couldn’t quite tell how many fingernails were still intact in his nail beds from scratching at the door. He felt dizzy but nonetheless found himself marvelling at how abundant the strength of an angry Omega was. Will could hear footsteps approaching, hurried and light, realising Margot was coming. 

“ _Where is my baby_?!” Will screeched, hurling himself against the door once more. 

The lock rattled and the minute Margot’s form was visible, Will seized her and threw her to floor beneath him. He cared deeply for Margot, he truly did, but he was going to kill whoever kept him from the baby Mason had snatched from him. 

“Will!” she gasped, scrambling backwards. “Calm down, it’s ok! I’m here to help!”

Will snarled and grabbed her by the shoulders, dragging her to her feet. “If you want to help me, take me to Mason. Now.” 

She nodded fervently. “Yes, I will! But please, you have to be quiet or he’ll know you’re out of the room!” 

“Take me to him _now_ , Margot,” Will hissed through gritted teeth, his eyes blazing with a fury Margot had never witnessed before. 

She swallowed and wriggled free from the other Omega’s grip, skirting nervously to the door. She placed a single finger to her lips, shaking and wide eyed, desperately hoping Will would try to remain calm to some degree. Will simply bared his teeth and snarled again. 

Margot lead him through the door and out into the hallway. Will barely took any of it in. He was too enraged to take in his surroundings after staring at the same four walls for the past three years. He kept his eyes on Margot’s golden hair and moving form as she crept through the house. 

She stopped outside of a deep mahogany door, her chest heaving. She paused and looked at Will for a second and then nodded. He flew past her and wrenched the door open. 

Mason was inside as promised. 

He sat on the edge of a ridiculously big bed, his head down and shoulders slumped as he stared at a bundle of blankets that lay in his arms loosely. He looked up slowly to take in Will, his eyes dead and dull. 

“Will,” he murmured. 

Will was shaking, and for once it wasn’t with fear. 

“Where is my b - ”

“Get out of here,” Mason snarled, rising swiftly and clutching the bundle to his chest. “Get out!” 

Will lunged himself at Mason, startling him and pushing him back down onto the bed. Will ripped the bundle from his arms, seething with fury. He barely noticed Mason freeze suddenly, his attention solely fixed on the child. 

Will buried his face in the bundle of blankets, dropping to his knees and sobbing. He rubbed his hot cheek against the baby’s tiny, soft face, desperately scenting it. It smelt _wrong_. 

“What’s happened?” Will choked out, his body going rigid. 

He tore the blankets away, gripping his baby in his lap. When the blankets were gone Will stared at what lay before him. 

A boy. He’d given birth to a boy. A baby boy that was cold and blue and not moving. A baby boy that was limp and silent and without a pulse. 

Will trembled. 

“Will,” Mason whispered above him, his voice cracking. 

“What have you done?” Will breathed out, his body going into shock. “What have you _fucking done_?” 

“He wouldn’t stop crying,” Mason garbled, sounding manic. “He wouldn’t stop and I...I didn’t know what to do. I lost it.” 

“ _You killed him_!” Will screeched, the first sob breaking forwards. 

“I held the pillow d-down on his face to stop him crying,” Mason stuttered. “I didn’t know what I was doing. He wouldn’t stop...”

Will hadn’t expected the wave of calm to wash over him then, but it did. He took in a deep breath, letting his shoulders sink as he exhaled. He wrapped the baby back in the blankets ever so delicately and scooped him up into his arms. He walked over to the crib at the foot of Mason’s bed and tenderly placed his child down. Then he turned and faced Mason. 

“I’m going to kill you,” Will announced sombrely to his mate, staring the Alpha dead in the eye. 

Mason didn’t have time to move too far before Will was on him, throwing them back down on the bed once more. 

It was odd to be the one pinning Mason down for once and not the other way around.

Before his mate could lurch up and throw Will off, he sank his teeth deep into Mason’s jugular and tore. Mason screamed as the chunk of flesh left his neck, squirming underneath Will. Will spat the chunk out and rammed his hands into Mason’s open screaming mouth, one hand securing itself around his bottom set of teeth and the other around his top row of teeth. The he pulled. Mason’s jaw cracked and the sound was so satisfying to Will’s ears, particularly when he started to make gurgling sounds. The Omega’s fists curled and were soon colliding with Mason’s face as the Alpha struggled underneath him, but Will sensed his defeat. He knew no matter how hard he fought back at Will, he was going to kill him. 

Will watched his mate battle to keep a grasp on his consciousness as his eye brow split and his teeth flew out past his lips from his gums and his nose crunched and his face became one big bloody mess. Will’s hands were screaming but he couldn’t care less. 

He spotted Mason’s beloved knife resting on the bedside table, the one his father had left for him that he used to stab his pigs with to ‘test the fat’. Will knew that both himself and Margot had been on the blade end of that knife before, grimacing at the mottled scar on his back from when Mason had plunged the knife in to the hilt one day. He’d twisted the knife so slowly and the pain had been horrific. 

Will’s fingers plucked the knife from the side and he gazed down at Mason’s dazed, lolling head beneath him. He stared at his mate for what felt like hours, but really he knew was seconds.  
Mason’s flesh slid easily away from his body as the knife danced along his face. Will watched in fascination as the knife separated strips of his skin from his face to reveal bloody sinew and muscle. Mason screamed, but Will barely heard him. He skinned the Alpha’s entire face and finished the process with slicing the tip off of his nose and cramming the offensive piece of flesh into Mason’s mouth. Mason still had a pulse in his neck when Will checked. This piece of information only enraged him more. How dare Mason have the nerve to stay alive when their child was _dead_. 

With trembling hands, Will plunged the knife straight into Mason’s chest, snarling when limbs pathetically flailed beneath him. He brought the knife down again and again. Mason gurgled each time, but his arms and legs stopped moving after a while. When he stopped, Will stripped him of his shirt and rammed the knife in again, only this time dragging downwards. He forced the blade in deep enough for the incision to spill Mason’s guts from his torso, the stench of blood nearly making Will gag. It smelt foul. 

Will sank a bloodied hand into the incision, delving his arm in until his hand brushed past still lungs to grasp onto the hard, muscled organ of Mason’s heart. He yanked the organ forth from Mason’s body ruthlessly and let the disgusting piece of his mate drop to the floor next to the bed. 

Will let go of the knife, flinching when it clattered against the floor that existed somewhere beneath the pools of blood and guts. 

 

When Margot entered the room again that night, knowing full well she was going to witness a blood bath, she found Will drenched in her brother’s blood, sat on the floor leaning against the crib whilst he held his son. He was shaking and delirious and cooing to the lifeless baby whilst Mason lay in a barely recognisable heap on the floor. 

She swallowed and began the process of trying to work out how they were going to fucking deal with this. 

 

She somehow managed to manoeuvre Will to her bedroom, where she gently eased him into an armchair by the fireplace. She knew better than to try and pry her nephew’s body from the Omega. She returned to Mason, and observed his body. Will had mutilated him severely, and there was only one thing she could think of. She left and returned again with a tarpaulin sheet big enough to fit Mason inside and dragged him, guts and all, onto the sheet. She rolled him up, tied up the ends securely and then moved his body to the top of the stairs in a combination of dragging and kicking. Knowing full well she wasn’t going to be able to carry her brother’s body down the stairs, sucked in a deep breath and pushed him. The body toppled down with hideous squelching thuds and hit the bottom. She then descended the stairs and began the laborious task of dragging the body from the house to the out building where Mason was keeping his ‘special’ pigs. 

Margot knew full well they were going to devour her brother when she pushed his body into the pen with them. 

The pigs shrieked when they spotted her atop of the platform that overlooked their overcrowded pen, their eyes glinting in a way that reminded Margot of her brother’s own eyes when he was in one of his sadistic rages. They squealed and jostled violently with one another until Margot took a deep breath and unwrapped her brother and with one quick movement shoved him over the side into the pen. The pigs descended on him like sharks in frenzy and she turned away when she saw the first tusked mouth close around his flesh. 

She then headed outside and dumped the tarpaulin in a pile near the woods. She returned to the house, in a dream like daze, checked that Will was still sat in her room and then went to Mason’s bedroom to strip the bed sheets. The blood had soaked through the mattress too, which was going to be a hassle to get down the stairs. 

She sucked in a deep breath and headed back outside with her arms full of bloodied sheets. She dumped them on the tarpaulin and then went back to the house and began to shift the mattress outside. She eventually got it out and hauled it over to the pile she was creating. When this was done, she headed back inside to her bedroom and peered in at Will. He was still sat there, rocking backwards and forwards with the baby. She gritted her teeth and approached him carefully. 

“Will,” Margot murmured, placing a careful hand on his shoulder. 

Will looked up at her smiling. Margot could see he wasn’t there behind his eyes. 

“Isn’t he beautiful?” Will smiled brokenly. “I’m going to name him Jasper. Do you like it?” 

“It’s a perfect name,” Margot agreed. “Will, please take your clothes off.” 

“Mmhmm,” Will hummed, rising shaking. 

Margot winced at the state of his bloody swollen hands and missing fingers nails. He was going to need a doctor, and soon; especially considering he needed care after giving birth. Before Margot could start thinking about infections and other post birth issues, Will’s arms extended and he smiled at her, his eyelids fluttering. 

“Hold him?” Will asked. 

Margot bit back the tears as her dead nephew’s body was placed in her arms. He was so tiny. 

Will stripped his clothes and stood naked in front of her, gazing expectantly. 

“Go get in the shower,” Margot said as softly as she could, walking towards her ensuite. “You need to wash the blood off you.” 

“Sure,” Will agreed, stepping into the shower and switching the water on. 

Margot flickered her eyes between the baby and Will as he absentmindedly washed himself. She wondered how long it would take for him to decline even further into this shocked, delusional state of shut down or to snap out of it and face the horror of what had happened. Will finished showering, the remnants of her brother washed down the drain, his skin itself usual creamy self again. 

“Go and lay down in my bed, I’ll bring you Jasper,” Margot urged him. 

Will obeyed her and crawled shakily into her bed. His arms outstretched for Jasper and she handed him to Will, grimacing as he stroked the dead infant’s face adoringly. 

“Get some sleep Will,” Margot whispered. “You need it.” 

Will simply hummed in response, not even looking at her. She sighed and left him closing the door behind her softly. She allowed herself to shed a single tear before she headed back outside, Will’s bloody soaked clothes in her arms. She dumped them on the pile too and then went to the outhouse next to where the pigs where kept. She could still hear them shrieking from inside. Margot located the bottle of gasoline and a box of matches and headed back to her pile. Shaking, she stripped herself of her own clothes that were covered in a mixture of Will’s and Mason’s blood and tossed them on top of the pile. 

The gasoline sloshed over the items of clothing and the mattress and the tarpaulin and bed sheets. She doused it all heavily, and then dug her fingernails into her palms as she watched the lit match fly  
from her fingers to the pile. It went up straight away, the flames licking over the bloodied items instantly. She wasn’t sure how long she stood there watching it all burn but her toes started to go blue and she was trembling with cold. 

There would be time for this later, time to _think_. In the meantime, the sun was beginning to creep towards the horizon and Margot needed to get to work with bleach. 

 

Hours later, Margot had cleaned the entire house from top to bottom. Her fingers were wrinkled and she was sure she was going to be smelling bleach for the rest of her life, but it was done. She finally went to the outhouse where the pigs were housed and leaned over the platform to peer down. 

There was nothing in the pen other than Mason’s shoes and scraps of clothes and bones. 

Margot returned to the house, brought a silent Will downstairs, sat him down at the kitchen table and rang the police. 

“911, what is your emergency?” 

“I need the police,” Margot. “A-and an ambulance, god, I don’t know!” 

Margot spent the next five minutes crying into her phone, erratically explaining to the operator that Mason was dead and she’d discovered an Omega locked in one of the bedrooms with a dead baby. 

When she hung up, she wiped away the tears and looked at Will. She grasped his thin, gaunt face in her hands and forced him to look at her. 

“Listen to me Will,” she murmured softly but firmly. “The police and an ambulance are going to come. You don’t have to speak to them, not right now, but at some point you will. Do you understand?” 

Will simply nodded. 

“When you finally speak to the police, you need to tell them these very specific things, ok?” 

Another nod. 

“Mason bought you from the auction, brought you here, kept you locked in that room, did all those awful things to you. Yes? Tell them everything he did to you.”

A third nod. 

“But do _not_ tell them you ever met me. They can’t know that we even knew each other existed. I never met you, I never knew about any of it. This is important Will. I’ve done the best I can to cover up Mason’s murder but you have to tell them one day Mason just never came back to you and that I found you locked in your room and set you free. Tell them I was looking for Mason and then I found him in the pig house. He was eaten by them. Then I called the police.” 

“What about Jasper?” Will whispered. 

“I don’t know Will,” Margot admitted. “I just know they’re going to take you to the hospital and then they’re probably going to admit you for psychiatric help. God knows Mason drove you to it.” 

“They... they won’t be able to help him will they?” Will asked, his voice thick with tears. “He’s gone, isn’t he?” 

“Yes,” Margot told him, fighting back her own tears. “I’m so sorry Will.” 

Will bit his lip so hard it bled and simply nodded, not looking up at the other Omega as his tears landed into the bundle in his arms. 

Margot wrapped her arms around Will’s bony shoulders, rocking them back and forth. 

Margot slipped into a daze, jolting when the harsh knocking at the door sounded. She staggered to her feet, her eyes puffy and red and her voice hoarse. When she opened the door, she was swarmed with police and paramedics. She found her mouth robotically moving as she pointed to the kitchen to let the paramedics know where Will was before she turned to guide the police to the pig pen to find the sparse remains of her brother. Telling them she couldn’t bear to be inside the pig house any more after all of three minutes, she stepped outside in time to see the paramedics lifting Will and Jasper into the back of the ambulance. 

Their eyes met as the doors of the ambulance slammed closed. 

 

When Will woke up, he was in what he presumed to be a hospital room. He’d never been in one before and had only ever seen them on the TV he and his dad had once owned before they had to sell it to pay their bills during a particularly hard winter. 

Will simply took in all of his surroundings once his vision focused. He felt dozy and detached from his body, but in a nice way, like he was floating off somewhere warm and pleasant. Looking down at his bandaged hands he realised he was probably on morphine. So _this_ was what it felt like to be high. Will thought back to his neighbours in the trailer park and decided it was no wonder so many of them spent their every waking hour trying to get their hands on the stuff. 

It felt wonderful. 

In his daze, Will let his eyes wander to the plastic crib that lay next to his bed. 

Jasper. 

A nurse rushed to his room when his alarm began beeping to alert him that the heart monitor and IV had been removed from his patient. He found him collapsed on the floor, cradling the dead infant in his arms and sobbing. 

“William,” he said softly, slowly moving to the Omega. 

He knew how violent and territorial Omegas could be after birth, being one himself. 

“Let’s get you back into bed, come on,” he insisted gently. 

Will just trembled as the other Omega guided him to the bed. “Please don’t t-take h-im.” 

“It’s ok Will, let’s just get you settled again,” he soothed him. “My name is Nick, I’m a nurse. You’re at the John Hopkins hospital in Baltimore.” 

“Please don’t let them take Jasper,” Will sobbed. 

Nick quickly rearranged the IV and heart monitor, his eyes softening when Will’s thickly bandaged hand grabbed his wrist. 

“Jasper? That’s a lovely name,” Nick smiled. “Come on, lets’ get you laid back. That’s it, don’t worry. You just keep holding Jasper.” 

“Am I going to die?” Will asked him, eyes floating on the ceiling as Nick quickly administered a sedative into his IV. 

“No William, you’re going to make it,” Nick assured him. “You need to rest up and heal and then we’re gonna help you out, ok?”

Will blinked, almost certain he could see Mason stood in the corner of the room. He tensed and clutched Jasper even tighter to his chest. 

“Don’t let... let him take Jasper,” Will slurred. “Don’t let him... let him...” 

“Ssh, it’s alright,” Nick hushed him. “Nobody is going to hurt you ever again. I promise.” 

Will found his mouth was too heavy to use then, so he simply blinked at Nick until he was pulled back into unconsciousness once more. 

 

When he came round again, Nick was in the room once more, checking Will’s vitals. He smiled when he saw the other Omega wake up, giving him a tiny wave. 

“Welcome back William,” he beamed softly. “How are you feeling?” 

“I don’t know,” Will dead panned. 

He glanced down to see Jasper was still in his arms to his relief. He was still here. 

“Any pain?” Nick enquired. 

“Everything just sort of... twinges,” Will supplied him, shrugging slightly. “It’s not too bad.” 

“That’s good,” Nick replied. “We’ll make sure we keep your pain relief steady though. Your body has a lot of recovering to do.”

Will just nodded. 

“You have some visitors, if you’re feeling up to it,” Nick informed him. “I’ll go get them if you like?” 

“Who... who on earth would be visiting me?” Will mumbled, sluggishly sitting up. 

“An agent from the FBI and a specialist Omega psychiatrist,” Nick responded. “Agent Jack Crawford and Dr. Alana Bloom.” 

“What do they want?” 

“To speak to you about what happened at Muskrat Farm. People have been looking for you since you disappeared and the FBI eventually got involved. It was a pretty huge case,” Nick replied hesitantly. 

“If you’re not feeling up for it though, I can ask them to come back another day.” 

Will went silent for a few moments, staring down at Jasper. “I’ll speak to them.” 

“Positive you want to do that?” 

“Yes,” Will replied tiredly, glancing up. “Can you... can you please put Jasper back in the crib?” 

“Of course I can,” Nick murmured gently. 

He placed the infant’s body back into the specially designed cold crib. It was designed to keep the body of the infant cold and preserved and was usually used for parents who had stillborn children and wanted to spend time with their baby at home before saying goodbye. 

“I’ll go get them now,” Nick announced. 

He slipped out of the room and Will waited for him to return. When he did, he scented the change in the smell of the air as the agent and the doctor entered. 

Alpha and Beta. 

He studied them. Jack Crawford was a large, intimidating man with eyes that bore into Will’s like he was reading his fucking mind. His jaw was stiff and he attempted to arrange his mouth into a smile for the pale, washed out Omega on the hospital bed. Alana Bloom smelled sweet and lovely, like the jasmine tree that bloomed next his trailer back in Louisiana. She was all soft, brown waves and rosy cheeks and gentle curves. She put him at ease at least. 

Nick cleared his throat and shot Will a look. “I’ll leave you guys to it. Please let me know if you need anything Will. I’ll be right outside.” 

Will nodded. 

He watched as Jack and Alana settled themselves in stiff looking plastic chairs by his bed, chairs which Will thankfully noted were on the other side to where Jasper was. 

“Good morning William,” Alana began, offering him a gentle smile. “I’m Alana Bloom and this is Jack Crawford.” 

When Will didn’t respond and simply gazed at them blankly, Jack cleared his throat and sat forwards. 

“Will,” Jack rumbled, his voice deep. “Can I call you Will? Or do you prefer William?” 

“Will,” he croaked in response. 

“Me and Dr. Bloom here work for the FBI,” Jack continued. “If you’re feeling up to it, I’d like to ask you some questions.”

“Sure.” 

Holding back a sigh at the blunt response, Jack cleared his throat again. 

“Well, first off, how are you feeling?” 

“Fine.” 

Alana’s heart softened at the hoarse, raspy Louisiana twang that sang through Will’s voice. “We understand how difficult this is for you to even begin talking Will. I just want to tell you that you’re incredibly brave and that you don’t have to answer anything you don’t feel comfortable with. All we want to do is help you.” 

“I suppose the best way to start would be for you to maybe let us know what you remember? Maybe start off with what happened the day you went missing?” Jack encouraged him. 

“I was looking at a display of fishing tackle,” Will swallowed. “I like fishing.”

“Uh huh,” Jack sounded. “And this was in Louisiana? Years ago?” 

“Yes. When I was fourteen.” 

“And what happened that day?” 

“I was looking at fishing tackle and then someone grabbed me. Knocked me out with what I think was chloroform. I woke up in a room. I don’t know how long I was out for.” 

“Did you see who took you?” 

“No. They came up behind me. I only really ever saw the woman.” 

Jack lifted an eyebrow. “Go on.” 

“I woke up and I was having my first heat. I guess they smelt me on the street that day, smelt me in pre-heat. I had no idea. I thought I was a Beta. I... there was a woman. I was tied to the bed the whole time and I never saw outside the room. She came and fed me. I don’t know if I was still in Louisiana or if they moved me to another state.” 

“And you never saw anyone else?” 

“Not until after my heat. Two men came and took me away. I was blindfolded so I don’t know what happened after I left the room. They never hurt me. Suppose beaten Omega’s sell for less. Buyers don’t want spoiled goods.” 

“Buyers?” Jacked repeated, his voice rising in pitch. “What do you mean?” 

“It was an Omega trafficking ring. They were selling underage Omegas who’d just presented. They took me to an auction but I was tied up and blindfolded the whole time. I never saw a thing. Mason bought me.” 

“Mason Verger?” Jack asked, his voice low and threatening. 

Will gripped the sheets tighter and his eyes flashed to the cot at the mention of his name. Alana noticed this, and followed Will’s eyes to the crib. 

“Is that your baby Will?” Alana asked softly, craning her neck slightly as she flickered her gaze between Will and the crib. 

“Don’t go near him,” Will snarled, his eyes flashing suddenly as he sat up, his upper lip curling back to reveal his teeth. 

Jack tensed and Alana held her hands up, eyes wide and earnest. “Of course. Of course not Will.” 

Will gradually settled back, studying Jack and Alana intently. 

“Mason bought me. He kept me in a room the entire time I was at Muskrat Farm. I never left it. I only ever saw him.” 

“And do you think you can tell us what happened after you arrived at Muskrat Farm?” Alana asked softly, her eyes unwavering. 

“Mason left me alone until my second heat came. He bonded with me. I didn’t want any of it,” Will bit out, his neck aching at the back where his mating mark was. “I don’t even know what happens now. I’ve never... I never learnt anything about Omegas. I was taken before I even knew.” 

“And you know what happened when the ambulance took you from Muskrat Farm?” Jack asked carefully. “Why Margot Verger called the police?”

Will swallowed, looking down. “She found me in the room he kept me in. He never let her go in there, forbid her I guess. She was looking for him because he’d been missing for hours she said. She found me and Jasper and... and then she told me to stay where I was. I did. When she came back she was crying. She told me Mason had fallen into the pit he kept his pigs in.” 

Jack nodded slowly. “And you say you never left that room Will?” 

Will shook his head. “No. I’ve been looking at the same four walls for three years sir. I only met Margot for the first time before she called the ambulance.” 

“How could she have not known you were in there?” Jack pushed. 

“Mason never let her near the room. Guess she was just as scared of him as I was,” Will muttered. “I didn’t make much noise anyway.” 

“Even when Mason was spending your heats with you? Even when you gave birth?” Jack asked incredulously. 

“Jack,” Alana hissed. “That is completely inappropriate - ”

“It’s ok Dr. Bloom,” Will smiled weakly. “More inappropriate things have happened to me recently than Agent Crawford asking me those questions.” 

“My apologies Will,” Jack sighed. “I appreciate how difficult this is to you and understand - ” 

“No,” Will cut him off with a gentle murmur, barely a whisper. “You do not understand.” 

Silence fell upon the room then. 

“Then help us to understand Will,” Jack persisted. “The FBI has had your missing person case for years now, and suddenly you just appear out of the blue like that.” 

“I’m sorry but I’m getting tired,” Will gritted out. “I don’t really feel up to answering much more.” 

Jack drew back, his jaw growing tense again. “Of course. You’ve done really well Will. How does it sound if we come and visit you again when you’ve got your strength back?” 

“That would be ok,” Will replied, glancing over at the crib once more. 

Jack refused to look at the crib. He couldn’t quite push himself to look at the cool incubator that held the Omega’s dead child. He and Alana rose from their seats. 

“Thank you for your time Will,” Jack said curtly, nodding to him. 

He turned to leave and Alana hesitantly approached the bed to place a gentle hand on his shoulder. 

“You’ve shown an amazing amount of strength today Will,” she praised him, eyes glistening with the beginnings of tears. “You should be proud of yourself.” 

Will would have laughed at the statement if he’d had the energy. Instead he offered her a faint, weary smile. 

“See you soon Will,” Alana called out as she and Jack left. 

Will sank back into the pillows and nearly cried with happiness when Nick returned to his room and gave him another dose of morphine and sedative. 

The darkness had never been so comforting.


	4. Fourth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Margot spins her web of lies further and Hannibal finds himself interested in a potential new patient.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, thank you so much to all of you lovely people who are taking the time to read, comment and give kudos! It means the world to me. I just wanted to say I'm sorry the story has dealt with some sensitive issues that might have been difficult to read, however I have tried my best to address them delicately and tastefully and will continue to try and do this throughout the whole fic! <3 Thank you for being so wonderful and reading this shamble of a story x

“You’re sure you wanna take him?”

“Sure I wanna... seriously Jack? You’re really asking me that?” Alana scoffed, baffled. 

Jack’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. “I know what you’re like Alana. You have a total saviour complex.” 

“Oh, so you’d rather him end up in some run down state owned psychiatric facility, forgotten about and left to rot?” Alana sniped. “No. It’s not happening. I’m getting him into Port Haven.” 

“I never said that,” Jack sighed. “I just worry that you’ll get... attached. You need to remain professional, no matter how sorry you feel for Will Graham. You’ve been professional the whole time you’ve worked for the FBI and I don’t want that to change because of him.” 

“Have you heard how heartless you sound? This is another human being we’re talking about, an extremely fragile one at that. Will needs compassion and professional care. I intend to try and provide him with that.” 

“And what if you can’t help him?” Jack pointed out. “What if whatever Mason Verger did to him was so awful that he isn’t ever going to recover?” 

“I don’t care. Will has no one, Jack. I’m going to get the help he needs and if I spend the rest of my career sat in a therapy with him, so be it.” 

“About that. Do you reckon we should tell him about his father when we go back?” 

Alana paused, looking out at the passing blocks of buildings and side walk until it all began to blur into one. “I’ll evaluate that when we next see him. He did so well today but I’m worried we might have pushed him too much. Telling him his father is dead too... that might just be the last straw for him.” 

“He’s strong Alana. He had to be to survive being locked up with Verger for that long. I’m sure he’ll be able to handle it.” 

Alana sighed and looked over to Jack. “How much longer until we get to Muskrat Farm?” 

“About another fifteen minutes.” 

They sat in silence after that, Jack’s eyes fixed on the road ahead of him and Alana fidgeting with the sleeves of her shirt and smoothing her skirt out over her thighs. Alana couldn’t stop thinking about Will’s hollow eyes and the intensity with which they bore into her skin. The Omega had looked so fragile, but was clearly anything but, as Jack had said. She wondered what therapy would be like with him, once she arranged for him to be admitted to Port Haven after he was well enough to leave the hospital. She wondered whether he would be silent, or if he would scream or cry or whether he would dead pan answers to her that he knew she wanted to hear. She immediately cared about the Omega, wanted to shield him from the rest of the world and make sure nothing hurt him ever again. She couldn’t even begin to imagine what Mason had done to him, but was determined to work through it all with Will. 

Their visit to Margot would hopefully shine some light on what had happened to Will Graham in past three years. 

Muskrat Farm was a vast sprawling estate, oozing impressive wealth. Alana’s eyes wandered to each of the out houses, wondering which one housed the pigs that had apparently mauled and eaten Mason Verger. 

Margot Verger was beautiful. Alana’s eyes consumed her sleek glossy hair, her round sparkling eyes and her full, pouting lips. Her skin was creamy and looked so soft to touch, so much so that Alana had to steel herself and stop thoughts of what that skin would feel like to touch. She smiled gently at the Omega, trying her best not to breathe in too deeply the smell that lingered in the air around her. It was soft and warm, like fresh cotton and clean air. 

“Miss Verger,” Jack greeted her. “I’m Agent Jack Crawford and this is Dr. Alana Bloom. May we come in?” 

“I...,” Margot trailed off. “Yes. Of course.” 

She ushered them in, showing them to the living room. They seated themselves and Margot perched herself on the expensive, stiff looking armchair opposite the sofa they’d sat down on. She looked petrified. 

“Can I get you anything to drink?”Margot asked, her voice trembling slightly. 

“No, thank you,” Jack declined. 

“Nothing for me either thank you,” Alana joined him, smiling reassuringly at the Omega. 

Margot shakily smiled back. “So, what can I do for you?” 

Jack did his usual throat clearing. “Dr. Bloom and myself work for the FBI. We’ve just come from the hospital. We’ve visited Will Graham, the Omega that went missing from Louisiana three years ago.” 

“Ah,” Margot responded. “How is he?” 

“Will needs a lot of care and help,” Alana interjected. “But we’ll make sure he receives it. We were wondering what you could tell us about the night your brother died, and the past three years in fact.” 

“I must... must go and visit him, when he’s ready,” Margot murmured, casting her eyes down. “I’m extremely worried about him. I just... everything with Mason, I haven’t even begun to...” 

“We’re very sorry for your loss,” Jack offered, eyes softening. “Miss Verger, can you tell us everything you remember about the night your brother died? The night you found Will?” 

Margot’s eyes welled up. “It was awful.” 

Alana nodded encouragingly when Margot looked to her. “Anything you can tell us would be useful. Will’s disappearance has been one of the most important cases for the FBI in the last few years. And Mason’s death was... it must have been horrific for you.” 

Margot swallowed and looked down. “Mason never once told me what was going on. My brother was always so secretive. He thought most things were none of my business, and apparently that even extended to... to this awful thing he’s done. I’m still struggling to get my head around the fact there’s been another person in the house for three years.” 

“And there was nothing at all in those three years to indicate Will’s presence?” Jack asked her, brow furrowed. “Surely you must have heard or seen something?” 

Margot shook her head. “Nothing. Your... colleagues from Forensics have been scouring my home all morning Agent Crawford. They informed me the room Will was kept in was sound proofed and I never saw that door open in three years. Mason wouldn’t let me near it and I had no reason to go in. It had always just been a spare room.” 

“I apologise for the invasiveness at such a delicate time for you,” Jack responded honestly, uncharacteristically kind of him. “I hope the process wasn’t too disrupting but we have two deaths on our hands here.” 

“One of which was accidental and the other I knew nothing about until I opened the door to that bedroom a day ago,” Margot replied, her shoulders tensed. “This whole thing is just... unbelievable.”  


“Your brother’s death was certainly... unusual,” Jack replied. “The pigs he kept... I’ve never heard of live stock that attack and eat humans.” 

“My brother was very cruel Agent Crawford. That’s the first thing you have to understand about all of this. He was sadistic and I’ve worried my whole life that he was ill and unstable. Everything he did, he twisted it for his own sick pleasure. He liked raising new breeds of pigs; it was a pass time of his - if you could call it that. Those pigs were abominations. He starved them and encouraged violence in their behaviour.”

“And you say he had an accident? Fell into the pit and the pigs attacked him?” 

“Yes,” Margot breathed out, tears beginning to swell past her eye sockets now. “It was never unusual for Mason to be gone for hours, sometimes days. But he always told me when he was going anywhere. That day, I thought nothing of it; I thought he’d simply left the house for the day but that night when I couldn’t find him I- I went looking for him.” 

“And that’s when you found Will and the baby?” Jack encouraged her. 

“I nearly didn’t go into the room, not after the number of times Mason warned me to never go in. But... I was worried. So I opened the door and there was just... just this boy curled up on the bed, sobbing. I was so shocked I just stood there for minutes. Then I realised he was holding the baby. I could smell it, could smell that he’d just given birth but I could smell that the baby was... that it was dead.” 

“What happened after that?” 

“He was so scared,” Margot cried, scrubbing her hands across her eyes. “He was shaking and crying and wouldn’t let me go near him. I panicked, I just... I backed out of the room and told him I would come back with help because in the back of my head all I could think was that I had to find Mason and get him to help them, that Mason would have an explanation for all this...” 

“So you went looking for him. And you found him.” 

“In the outhouse where he kept the pigs. What was left of him anyway. All I could see was blood and scraps of his clothes and it became so easy to imagine how it had happened. That he’d simply gone out there to poke and prod at them and irritate them, like he always did. He liked to watch them fight each other. I... I can still picture it now, him walking onto that platform and leaning over too far this time and losing his balance and...” 

Margot sucked in a deep breath as the tears continued to stream down her face. “I felt sick. I ran back to the house and even though I wasn’t sure if he could hear me, because he seemed like he was in a total state of shock, I told him Mason was dead. Then I rang for help.” 

Jack nodded. Their stories matched up but something still didn’t feel right. “Thank you Margot. We appreciate your help. Once again, I’m sorry for the intrusion at such a complicated time.” 

“What’s going to happen to Will?” Margot asked, voice quavering. 

“He’ll remain in the hospital for now. They’re keeping him quite heavily sedated whilst he recuperates but once he’s discharged he’ll be admitted to Port Haven Psychiatric Facility. I’ve been assigned to his case and I’ll be looking after him at Port Haven,” Alana informed her with a tender smile. 

“And the baby?”

“At some point there will have to be a post-mortem examination,” Jacked replied grimly. “We haven’t approached it with Will yet as he’s hardly in the right state of mind to discuss it.” 

Margot stared at him. “Mason killed him.” 

“Miss Verger, accusing your brother of killing the child is a serious statement to make,” Jack told her carefully. “One that we have to investigate.” 

“I know what my brother was,” Margot gritted out through clenched teeth. “He was a monster. And I know he will have done a manner of unspeakable things to Will. He wouldn’t have hesitated to kill the baby.” 

“Miss Verger, we’ll need you to come down to our head quarters to make a statement of this,” Jack responded, leaning forwards. 

“Whatever you want,” Margot shrugged. “Although what can you even do? Mason is dead.” 

“We’ll have to approach Will about this when we can,” Alana murmured. “We’ll need him to make a statement too, although I’m worried he won’t be able to do that for quite a while now.” 

“I’d like to offer to pay for his hospital bills and any bills for his psychiatric treatment,” Margot informed them. “I’d also like to pay for the baby’s funeral when Will decides it’s time. It’s the least I can offer him after what Mason has done to him. How long will he be in Port Haven for once he’s discharged from the hospital?” 

“Indefinitely,” Jack replied. “We don’t yet know the extent of the damage that was inflicted upon him. It may take Will the rest of his life to recover.” 

Alana shot him a glare. “I’m going to do everything I can to ensure Will recovers and can introduce himself back into society. I want him to come away from this and be able to have the life he should have.” 

Margot smiled weakly. “I doubt he’s really ever going to be same Dr. Bloom.” 

 

Hannibal picked up the vibrating phone from his desk, observing Alana’s name appear. Settling his pen down and leaning back in his chair, he picked the phone up and answered. 

“Good afternoon Alana,” Hannibal greeted her smoothly. 

“Hey Hannibal,” Alana replied wearily. “Hope I’m not disturbing you?” 

“Not at all. My last client of the day left my office about twenty minutes ago,” Hannibal told her, tapping his fingers against the sleek wooden desk he sat at. “How may I help you?” 

“To be perfectly honest, I’ve had a really long day and couldn’t think of anything better right now than enjoying some beer and decent food,” she half laughed, her voice still strained. “Of course if you’re busy tonight don’t worry about it, I just wanted some company and a venting outlet.” 

“My kitchen is always open to friends Alana,” Hannibal mused. “Seven o’clock this evening?” 

“Perfect,” she sighed with relief. “You’re a life saver, thank you. I’ll see you at seven!” 

“Goodbye Alana,” Hannibal replied, ending the call. 

He turned the device round in his hands with long, dexterous fingers. Now the difficult task of deciding whether to cook liver or kidney. 

 

Alana arrived at seven on dot, as she always did when she promised to somewhere a certain time. Hannibal greeted her at the door and led her to the kitchen, handing her a glass of the beer she so enthusiastically preferred whilst he poured himself his wine. 

“So,” he began. “Please do tell me about your day.” 

Alana grinned as she sighed, hand wrapping around the knife Hannibal offered her. “It’s been pretty full on. Do you remember that boy that went missing three years ago from Louisiana? Will Graham?” 

Hannibal didn’t particularly take much of an interest in missing persons cases, however it was hard to not remember the name. It had been all over the news on television, the radio, his face and name plastered over posters and bus stops all throughout the country. 

“Yes. How were you involved in his case?” 

Alana didn’t glance up at the Alpha as she sliced the vegetables, sighing again. “He was found yesterday. There was a call from Muskrat Farm, you know the place that the Verger family owns? The police and ambulance went over there and found him. Mason Verger was dead and his sister had found Will locked in a room.” 

Hannibal raised his eyebrows. “What a baffling set of events.” 

“It was bizarre,” Alana grimaced. “Mason Verger was mauled to death by his own pigs and eaten alive. Margot didn’t just find Will though. She found...” 

Hannibal glanced up at her, observing her hesitation. 

“Jeez I don’t know how much of this I should be telling you,” Alana admitted. “It’s very delicate and hush-hush at moment, for the sake of Will’s protection seeing as he’s still a minor at seventeen.” 

“Alana, please do not feel you have to divulge anything to me,” Hannibal assured her. “I respect the boundaries your professionalism sets in place for you. However, you are only human and you feel stressed, and you know that I would not become involved in your line of work or tell another living soul what we discuss. ” 

“Always the outstanding therapist,” Alana chuckled softly, shoulders sagging slightly. “I do trust you Hannibal. It’s just that today has really sort of... shaken me I suppose. What that poor boy has been through...” 

“You clearly care very much for him Alana,” Hannibal softly told her. 

“Margot found a baby in that room Mason was keeping Will in. Dead,” Alana uttered, clenching the knife tighter. “They’d taken him to the hospital with Will, apparently he wouldn’t let the paramedics come near the baby. I went to see him today with Jack and he was just in this little cold cot next to Will’s bed. It was awful Hannibal.”

“Witnessing such trauma can often feel like we ourselves are immersed in it,” Hannibal responded. “It must have been difficult for you to have been in that situation.” 

“Never mind what it was like for me, Jesus,” Alana muttered. “The things that Mason put Will through... I want to get him into therapy as soon as possible. There’s years of abuse and trauma that Will needs help sorting through. I don’t even want to think about what it’s going to be like for him when Forensics asks to perform a post-mortem on the baby.” 

“Forensics?” Hannibal queried. 

Alana nodded. “There’s reason to believe Mason murdered his and Will’s child.” 

Hannibal paused from seasoning the liver in front of him. “And what reason would that be?” 

“Margot Verger told me and Jack today that she believes – well, she said she _knows_ that Mason killed the baby.”

“And what do you think happened?” 

“Anyone capable of illegally _buying_ a fourteen year old boy from an Omega trafficking ring, keeping them locked up in a room on their own for three years, beating them and raping them and force bonding with them and then forcing pregnancy on them... I wouldn’t put it past Mason from killing his own child.” 

“It is... truly shocking to acknowledge we are capable of such feats,” Hannibal admitted. 

Alana simply shuddered and resumed slicing the vegetables. 

Hannibal fully acknowledged his own darkness. He embraced it, revelled in it and bathed in it. A secret darkness, of course, one that he controlled with impeccable discipline and care. He’d mastered the ability to kill without ever being found out or caught, and that was not something he planned on getting lazy about. Mason, however, clearly had a different darkness. One that Hannibal turned his nose up at in disgust. He’d never had any time for sexual perversion or sex at all for that matter; he’d never bonded with anyone and much preferred his celibacy. He had of course partook in sexual relationships many times in the past when he was younger, but now he was older and getting steadily closer to fifty he focused his time on his killing. Mating didn’t interest him anymore. He couldn’t picture himself bonded to anyone at all, never mind an Omega, and the thought of children was near painful for him. Losing Mischa was enough to make him feel physically sick at the concept of offspring. Never again. 

When he and Alana finished preparing the food, they sat on the stools at the bar in the kitchen whilst the marinated liver and vegetables cooked in the oven. Alana took a gulp of her beer and rubbed her hands over her face tiredly. 

“Will’s case is getting assigned to me and I’m going be his therapist when he comes to Port Haven,” Alana informed him. “I just hope that with time he can begin to recover.”

“What of his family? Will he not be sent back to Louisiana?” 

“His father died of a heart attack last year. He has no other family. I suppose the closest thing he has to family now is Margot Verger. Jack thinks we should tell him about his dad when we next go to the hospital to see him, but I’m not sure telling him his father passed away is a good idea when he’s barely comprehending the death of his son. He’s so young, _too_ young for all of this.” 

Hannibal settled a hand on hers. “He may be. But it sounds to me as if he is a survivor.” 

 

“So, this whole Omega thing,” Will began awkwardly, watching Nick flit about the hospital room with natural grace. “How does it work?” 

Nick paused, throwing him a soft smile. “Well there are a lot of aspects to being an Omega.” 

“I’m sorry,” Will mumbled. “I just never learned about any of it. I didn’t realise, I thought I was Beta until I got taken.” 

“Hey, don’t apologise,” Nick chided him gently. “I’m more than happy to answer any of your questions.” 

“I don’t know if I’m normal,” Will confessed. “I don’t know how Omegas really...work.” 

Nick sat down in the plastic chair next to the bed. “Well there’s your scent for a start. Omegas have different smells to Alphas and Betas but each individual smells different too. We all scent each other, but you probably already know about that. You’re scenting me right now.” 

Will flushed crimson. “I’m sorry. I never really got to learn what was and wasn’t polite.” 

“I don’t mind Will,” Nick replied honestly. “Most people don’t, we all do it. Just slightly more... discretely. It’s different of course with close friends and families and mates.” 

“My heats,” Will started cautiously. “I have them every three months. Is that normal?” 

“Completely,” Nick assured him. “Omegas with regular cycles tend to go into heat every three months, usually lasting around a week and spend about two or three days in pre-heat. Those days are useful to get yourself somewhere you feel safe and prepare yourself.” 

Will gave him a half hearted smile. “Safe. That’s an amusing concept.” 

“I’m sorry Will, that was insensitive of me,” Nick apologised. “Anything that you want to talk about, you’re safe to do so with me.” 

“When an Omega’s mate dies, what happens?” 

“The mating bite fades within a few months, unless it’s replaced by a new mate’s bite. The experience is difficult, I won’t lie to you. Whilst the bite is fading you’ll experience extreme lows and anxiety and will possibly pine for your mate.”

“I don’t know how much they told you about me Nick, but I don’t think I’m going to grieve a mate like Mason, mating bite or not.” 

Nick simply nodded, his eyes sad. “I understand Will. Nonetheless, there will be some neurological damage. It’s a biological feat you can’t escape I’m afraid, no matter how many bad feelings you harbour towards your mate. Whether you cared for him or hated him, your body will naturally react.” 

Will drew a slow breath. “How long do I have to wait until my next heat after giving birth?” 

“It’s usually six months until you body enters heat after giving birth.” 

“I want suppressants.” 

Nick pressed his lips together. “Ok. Well that’s something I can arrange for you to be prescribed. I’ll have to set you up an appointment with a doctor though.” 

“Whatever needs to be done,” Will told him. “I am not going into heat again.” 

Nick’s eyes drifted to the cold cot. “Of course Will. That’s completely fine.” 

Will followed his eyes to the cot. “I don’t know what to do.” 

Nick shifted in his chair. “No one expects you to do anything Will. You’ve only just been found again after three years and I know you’re not ready to talk about what happened yet, but you’re being amazingly strong.” 

“I don’t feel strong,” Will whispered. “I feel like I’d shatter into a million pieces if he hadn’t already broken me.” 

“Oh Will,” Nick sighed. “Do you want me to get Jasper - ”

“No!” Will blurted out, his throat growing thick and stinging with tears. “No. Leave... leave him in the crib.” 

“Are you sure?” Nick asked cautiously. “You can take all the time you need to have contact with him. This process is entirely personal to you.” 

Will swallowed. “I don’t think I can do this.” 

Nick just nodded and gently squeezed his bandaged hand. Will had been at the hospital for five days now and was slowly beginning to grasp his reality. He was slightly more talkative with Nick, but silent with the other nurses and doctors. On the third day he stopped screaming whenever anyone came near Jasper. He’d slowly started leaving Jasper in the cot more than he wanted to hold him and today he’d only held his son once. Nick wasn’t sure if it was just a natural progression in his grief and bereavement or if Will was forcing himself to distance himself from his son. 

Nick left after a few more minutes and Will dozed in and out of sleep for a few hours. A soft knock at the door later startled him awake and he watched with wide eyes as the door swung open. 

“Margot.” 

She didn’t say anything as she stepped inside and shut the door behind her. She looked as if she hadn’t slept since he saw her last and she seemed so drawn and pale. She cautiously lowered herself into the chair by his bed, eyes fixed on his face. 

“How are you feeling?” she rasped, a weak smile flitting on her lips. 

“I’m ok. How are you?” 

“I’ve been better. Although I imagine you’re faring far worse than me despite what you say.” 

“I suppose.” 

They lapsed into silence then, simply staring at each other. After a few moments Margot rose from the chair and walked around the cot. Will tensed a little, but said nothing. Margot came to a stop when she reach the cold cot and stared at her nephew’s body that lay so still before her. His face was so perfectly formed. Perfect little ears, eyelids with curling dark lashes and round miniature nose and lips. 

“May I hold him?” Margot asked, barely above a whisper. 

“Of course,” Will replied. 

Margot and Nick were the only ones who had ever touched his son, Will realised in that moment. No Alphas or Betas. He didn’t trust them, but somehow trusted other Omegas to understand and bear the weight of his loss. 

“I’m so sorry Will,” Margot blurted out, her voice cracking as a cry broke free in the middle of her sentence. 

Will watched her holding his son for a few seconds as small sobs jerked her body and tears rolled down her pale cheeks. “Don’t apologise to me Margot. It’s like you said to me the first time I met you. You can apologise but it doesn’t make the slightest bit of difference for what he’s done to me.” 

“He’s so beautiful Will,” Margot sobbed quietly. “You know, I always wanted this. Wanted to have children. Mason forbade it. I’ve never shared a heat with anyone, never bonded. Can you imagine that? Twenty six years old and I’ve never even shared a heat with anyone.”

Will was astounded at her selfishness in that moment. How could she stand there holding his dead son crying over the fact she’d never been with anyone when he’d been forced into mating and pregnancy since the age of fourteen? He bit his tongue. He’d spare her this because she had lost her family too. 

“What do you want Margot?” he asked stiffly. 

Margot sniffed and wiped a hand across the back of her face to scrub away the tears. “I wanted to check how you are but felt like a complete idiot for that because of course you’re not ok, I didn’t need to come here to know that. I miss you I suppose.”

“You miss me?” 

“Yes. A lot. I miss having you to talk to Will. I miss looking after you. The past few days, a lot has happened. There have been Forensics teams in and out of my house for days, I’ve been interviewed by the FBI, given statements saying Mason killed Jasper...” 

“What did you tell them?” 

“I told them Mason fell into the pit, got mauled to death and was eaten. I told them I got you out of that room and that I’d never seen you before. I told them the story I told you the night you killed Mason.” 

Will couldn’t look at her. He simply rested his eyes on his son’s body in Margot’s arms, cradled against her breast. “Good thing you’re such a great liar.”

“I’ve arranged for all of your hospital bills to be paid and for your psychiatric care to be paid for too,” Margot informed him after a long period of silence. “I wanted to offer to pay for Jasper’s funeral when you’re ready.” 

Will felt a lump in his throat. “I... I haven’t thought about it.” 

“It’s ok Will,” Margot reassured him. “You don’t have to think about it yet. I just wanted to let you know the offer is there.” 

“I won’t say anything you know,” Will replied, finally looking up at her startlingly round eyes. “If that’s why you’re doing all of this. I don’t need you to offer to take care of stupid things like bills and funerals if you think it’ll stop me from going to the police and telling them what happened.” 

“No! No, that’s not - ” 

“Margot,” Will sighed. “It’s ok. I’ll keep telling them the same story. It’s just that I... I don’t really care if they know. The only person I’m keeping this lie up for is you. You were the one who decided to make it all look like an accident anyway. They’d just sent me to a psychiatric facility for the rest of my life if they knew I murdered Mason. Which is where it looks like I’ll be spending the rest of my time anyway.” 

“You don’t know that Will,” Margot disagreed, frowning. “In a few years, maybe less, you could be in your own home with a job and friends and - ”

“And what? A mate? _Children_?” Will snorted sarcastically. “Don’t even bother. I’m not going to entertain the ridiculous idea I can be normal again after this so neither should you.” 

Margot fixed him a long hard look and then turned to place Jasper back into the cold cot ever so delicately. “I’ll come see you again tomorrow. I’ll see if I can get you your own cell phone. I can keep in touch with you more easily that way. You can... let me know if you need anything.” 

“Thanks,” Will sighed. 

“You know, I... it might sound stupid to you Will but I consider you my family. The only family I have left. I’m going to be here for you no matter what, ok? Whatever you need,” Margot told him, her voice trembling and her eyes shakily resting on him for a few brief seconds as her cheeks flushed pink. “We’ll look after each other.” 

Will regarded her for a moment then. When he didn’t say anything Margot’s shoulders sagged and she turned to the door, heading out. 

“See you tomorrow Margot,” Will called out as she left. 

He received a crooked, uncertain smile in response. 

 

A week later, Will was discharged. Forensics had come to finally take Jasper’s body away for post-mortem.  
Will could have told them then and there that the cause of death was asphyxiation but he couldn’t bring himself to say the words. Will was assured that they would have Jasper’s body for a few days at the most and then he would be returned to Will at Port Haven. 

Port Haven was nice, but far too nice. Too many pastel colours, too many soft corners and gentle smiles and comforting meals. The other Omegas here seemed so _emotional_ , Will thought, or maybe that was just how Omegas were and he was the one that was different. They were all mainly abuse victims, however some were here because their depression was too severe or because their anxiety was too consuming. There were a few that had also lost children, Alana informed him. 

Alana’s office was light and airy and the walls were an inoffensive cream colour. 

“Louisiana?” she repeated. 

Will simply nodded, eyes fixed on the delicate patterns on the ceiling. 

“Whereabouts would you want to scatter his ashes there?” Alana asked. 

“The Bayou,” Will answered. “Dad used to take me in the summer when he wasn’t working.” 

Alana nodded slowly. “And you’re sure cremation is what you want to go through with? Not a burial?” 

“I’m not religious. I don’t see the point in a burial. If I cremate him... it’s kind of the only good thing I ever get to do for him. Set him free.” 

“And what are you setting him free from Will?” 

“This world and all the shit in it,” Will replied bluntly, his twanging southern accent thrumming through his voice. 

“Did Margot tell you she’s arranged Mason’s service?” Alana enquired. 

“Yes,” Will replied. “I don’t care. I’m not going.” 

“Will...” Alana began, her voice unsure. “As Mason’s... mate, you’re legally required to sign paper work regarding his death.”

“Even if you were forced into being someone’s mate? Even if you’re underage? Even in this messed up situation?” 

“Unfortunately yes,” Alana sighed. “It’s a completely ridiculous process and needs updating, but then again so do many of the laws regarding Omega rights.” 

“I wouldn’t know,” Will replied dryly, resuming his staring session at the patterned ceiling. “You don’t get to learn much about Omega rights when you’re locked in a room for three years with nothing to do but stare out a window.” 

“I’d be more than happy to teach you Will,” Alana offered. “I have books you can read and you’re welcome to use the computer in my office to read up on anything you like, and there’s the TV in the day room that has news channels on all the things going on in the world at the moment.” 

“I don’t wanna watch the TV,” Will muttered. “I saw it the other day and all I saw was my face on a news channel.” 

Alana just nodded and scribbled something down. 

“I’ll sign the paper work. Just let me know when it gets here,” Will told her after a few moments of silence and scribbling. 

“Will, I’d like to ask you some questions,” Alana asked. “You don’t have to answer anything you feel unable to. I just wanted to try and get a better understanding of what life has been like for you in the past three years.” 

Will rolled his head back down to look at her. “What do you want to know?” 

“I thought maybe we could talk about the first heat you had at Muskrat Farm,” Alana suggested. 

“I went into heat. Mason fucked me and bonded me. What else is there to say?”

Alana observed Will’s coarse reaction and knew it was nothing more than a survival mechanism, nothing more than Will detaching from how terrible it had truly been to experience that event in order to preserve himself. The coldness in his eyes, on the other hand, was unnerving. 

“How much of it do you remember?” 

“It’s just blurry. Just flashes of stuff. It’s like that with all of my heats. I don’t remember much.” 

“And the bits you do remember? What are they like?” 

Will’s jaw tightened. “Just like any regular heat I suppose. I don’t know.” 

“So you never felt unsafe with Mason during your heats? You never felt in danger or in pain?” 

“I never felt safe with him once and the only things I ever felt were pain and that I was in danger,” Will smiled, his voice tight with sarcasm and bitterness. “I don’t know what heats are supposed to be like. All I have to go off is what he did.” 

“Heats are meant to be spent with a partner you feel safe with and that you trust,” Alana murmured softly. “Someone who cares for you.” 

Will just shrugged. “Great.”

Alana held back her sigh and clasped her hands together. “Will, what was Mason like with you outside of your heats?” 

“I didn’t see him much. He fed me and that was it. I’d see him when he was angry or bored but other than that...” 

“And when he was angry or bored? What was that like?” 

Will smiled softly, but the venom behind it made Alana feel cold. “I was like one of his pigs Dr. Bloom. I was entertainment for him, an experiment, a hobby. When he was angry he would take it out on me and I took the brunt of his boredom as well.” 

“Do you feel able to say what happened at these times Will? If you don’t I completely understand.” 

“I’m sure you can probably guess,” Will spat at her through gritted teeth. 

“I can guess, but that doesn’t mean I’m anywhere near to what really happened.” 

“He’d beat me or fuck me. Sometimes he just used to sit on my bed with me and talk at me. Talk until it felt like my ears were going to burst, saying all this stuff to me. Sometimes I’d wake up at night and he’d be stood at the foot of my bed, just watching me. He wouldn’t leave, even when he knew I’d woken up and seen him. He knew it scared me. Sometimes I didn’t get to eat for a few days.” 

“And this went on for the whole three years?” 

“It only really started the first time I didn’t get pregnant.” 

Alana fell silent. 

Will blinked nervously and looked down at his hands. “It started off with just the beatings after my first heat with him but then when I had my second heat, the test didn’t show anything up. I wasn’t negative or positive. A few weeks later he came to me and he was angry about something. He... he was too rough and it turned out I was pregnant after all. I miscarried.” 

“How old were you?” 

“Fifteen.” 

Alana’s heart wrenched and her fingers tightened around the pen she was writing notes with. “You were so brave.” 

“It carried on like that the whole three years,” Will told her, frowning at his shoes. “I got pregnant after a lot of my heats and I’d miscarry after a few weeks, either because he got angry and couldn’t control his actions or it was my fault. Sometimes nothing had to happen and I’d just... I would lose it. That used to frustrate him. He could understand the miscarriage if he’d fucked me too hard or beaten me. He couldn’t accept it if it was my fault. He used to beat me even worse after that.” 

“It was never your fault Will. None of this is your fault.” 

“It was though. It always just _was_. One time he stabbed me he got so angry I’d lost the baby,” Will told her, a broken, honest smile appearing. “It just sort of went on like that until I got pregnant with Jasper.” 

“Will,” Alana began carefully. “How many times have you been pregnant?” 

Will’s eyes widened then, as if startled by the question. He went silent and his brow furrowed, as if he was concentrating on adding up. 

_Jesus_ , Alana thought. 

“Seven, including Jasper.” 

“And the other six pregnancies you miscarried every time?” Alana asked incredulously, wondering if her jaw would have dropped if she was not a professional psychiatrist. 

“Yes,” Will replied, his voice becoming very quiet. “Mason just wanted me so he could have an heir. That’s all I was really there for.” 

Alana swallowed and scribbled more notes down. 

 

“So how did he take it when you told him about his father?” Hannibal enquired as he speared the slice of heart with his fork. 

“He cried, a lot. Then he went silent for a whole day, according to his nurse at the hospital,” Alana replied, her voice heavy with morose. “I asked him about it and he said he’d already grieved his father. Mason told him when he was younger he may as well consider his father dead because he’d never see him again.” 

Will had become a sort of shared project between Alana and Hannibal. She found herself confiding in the other psychiatrist about Will’s therapy with her, as she admitted she was struggling herself to make much progress. Hannibal offered her advice and listened, and each time he saw her next, whether it was days or weeks, she seemed only more frustrated. 

“I just can’t seem to get through to him,” she admitted, unknowingly chewing the gas station employee’s heart between her teeth. 

Hannibal almost smiled at the thought of his shocked face when he realised who had come for him. _Rude_. 

“What do you think is stopping you from forming a relationship with him? Your patients normally take to you immediately.” 

“Will is stuck in this mind frame that Mason forced him to create for himself; he just does as he’s told. I ask him questions and he answers them but there’s no feeling or sincerity behind it. He just seems to have completely detached himself from the trauma and he’s relaying it to me like a robot. I can’t get him to connect with himself.” 

“Hmm,” Hannibal mused, swirling his wine thoughtfully. “Not an uncommon behavioural trait in victims of abuse. Perhaps change your approach?” 

“I’ve tried Hannibal, I feel like I’ve tried everything,” Alana confessed. “He’s been with me for nearly a month now and we have therapy every day. I’ve tried to get him to interact in group therapy, I’ve tried to get him to write things down, and I’ve tried a million different approaches in how I’m asking him things... I even sent him to try the art therapy group last week.” 

“Does he trust you?” Hannibal asked, watching her carefully across his dinner table. 

“Will doesn’t trust anyone,” Alana laughed bleakly. “That’s the whole problem. I don’t think he even trusts himself.” 

“He blames himself for Mason’s behaviour.” 

“Parts of Mason’s behaviour, yes,” Alana confirmed. “Mason made him believe it was his fault that he miscarried so many times. Will blames himself for Mason’s violence in reaction to the miscarriages.” 

Mason Verger truly did sound vile, Hannibal thought. He sounded like the exact sort of person Hannibal would delight in butchering and taking apart. 

“Will had Jasper cremated yesterday,” Alana informed him. “I went with him to the crematorium.” 

“How did he behave?” 

“He just went through the whole process like he was in some sort of daze. He didn’t speak or even look at anyone. I’m worried he’s still in shock; I just can’t seem to get him to address Jasper’s death appropriately.” 

“This may seem presumptuous of me Alana, but if you are willing to accept my assistance, I would be more than happy to serve as a... secondary unofficial therapist, of sorts, to Will,” Hannibal offered, settling his cutlery down carefully on his plate, steepling his fingers together. 

“Trying to steal my patient, Dr. Lecter?” Alana joked with a soft smile.

“Ah, you see right through me,” he chided her in return. “But I must confess, Will Graham does sound far more interesting than my usual patients. And I feel as if I almost know him, we talk of him so frequently and in depth. I admit I am keen to meet him.”

“Maybe you’re right,” Alana sighed. “I don’t feel like I’m getting through to him, and maybe he needs a different kind of therapy. Maybe you can get him to engage with his past in ways that I can’t.” 

“Perhaps. I would be eager to try.” 

“How does ten o’clock on Tuesday sound?” Alana smiled, her eyes hopeful. 

“It’s a date.”


	5. Fifth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will meets a new Doctor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You are all amazing and wonderful, thank you for all the love this fic is getting. It's heart warming.  
> I'm sorry I've kept you all waiting for so long for Hannibal and Will's meeting, but it's finally here. Let the Hannigram begin.

Hannibal enjoyed the calm at Port Haven. Alana’s mark was clear everywhere you went throughout the facility, including the calm of her personality. His nostrils flared at the smell of her scent that lingered in the reception. The room was also heavy with the smell of Omegas, and Hannibal mused what the air would have looked like if the smell was visible. A pale, curling rose coloured mist, perhaps? No, far too stereotypical to the aesthetics associated with Omegas. This facility housed the fractured and unstable, not the soft glowing Omega image that had been created in the society that existed outside of the facility. Hannibal personally detested the image that Omegas had been moulded in to. It was sickly sweet and unrealistic; it made Omegas out to be almost something more than human, something that ought to be handled as if it would shatter at any moment. Omegas were, in Hannibal’s opinion, the strongest out of the three secondary genders. Alphas, for all their pride and arrogance, were fragile beneath all the pretence. They flounced throughout their lives as if they were indestructible and although they admittedly possessed certain physiological traits that made them stronger and faster, Hannibal found them to be pathetic. They were wounded so easily, distracted by Omegas like children who’d had a shiny new toy dangled in front of them. Their pride was almost worth of his pity, Hannibal thought. 

Betas were sturdy, and Hannibal liked to compare them to docile little donkeys or Labradors. They bumbled throughout their lives being the ‘norm’. Nothing special, just completely ordinary. They were stronger than Alphas in that they were not wounded by pride or the irritating need to strut and preen and show off. They were physically weaker, however, and didn’t possess the strength of Omegas or Alphas. Omegas were the true spectacle from a biological and psychological point of view. The patients at Port Haven were an example of that. Many of them had suffered extreme violence from unhinged mates and had been subjected to all kinds of emotional and psychological abuse. And yet, here they were. Surviving and receiving treatment and making their progress with fitting back into the world. Hannibal had never fathomed why they were made out to be fragile, delicate things. 

Hannibal thought of what Alana had told him of Will. Will was certainly an example of Omegas being the sturdiest and strongest secondary sex. He’d survived a multitude of physical and mental tortures from Mason. 

Hannibal admitted openly to his admiration of Omega traits, but that did not mean he wanted to socialise with them all. He disliked certain aspects of them, just as much as he disliked aspects of himself that were a result of his being an Alpha. 

There were not many Alphas that worked at Port Haven, Hannibal noted. The ones that were employed at the facility were all bonded. He was certainly a rarity here, he mused to himself. 

“Hannibal,” Alana beamed, appearing in the reception. 

“Good morning Alana,” Hannibal smiled in return. “How are you?” 

“I’m great thanks,” she replied. “A little... apprehensive, shall we say, but other than that I’m good.” 

“Apprehensive about what, may I ask?” 

Alana led him through the reception out into a corridor. “About how you and Will are going to get along.” 

“Are you having doubts?” Hannibal asked. “I have no issue with calling all of this off if you think it’s a bad idea.” 

“No, no,” Alana reassured him. “More apprehensive in that I’m nervous for him and unsure of how this will play out. I think it will be good for him to speak to a different therapist, but I’m merely empathising with him.” 

“Empathising with him and feeling nervous for his sake?” 

“I would be nervous if I was him,” Alana confessed with shy smile. “I’ve noticed Will doesn’t find it very easy to meet new people.” 

They came to stop outside of a room with walls made completely out of glass, providing a complete view into the room. A small sign on the glass door read ‘DAY ROOM’. The contents of the room consisted of a handful of Omegas, soft looking couches, a few book shelves stacked with novels, a TV and fresh displays of sunflowers sitting in simple vases. There were elegant little lamps resting on white coffee tables and a sleek piano resting in the corner of the room. The wall opposite them was made of glass too and looked out at the gardens of Port Haven. 

“That’s Will,” Alana murmured with a gesture. 

Hannibal followed her movement to land his eyes on the Omega he’d been hearing about for a month now. 

Will was sat on an armchair that was facing the garden. He sat simply staring out at the gardens, his pose unfaltering. Hannibal could make out a fraction of his face, a sweep of it visible from the angle he was sat at. His clothes looked too big on him, as if they were swallowing him. Hannibal found himself intrigued at Will’s statue like stillness. 

“He doesn’t interact with the others,” Alana informed him as they stood there observing Will. “He doesn’t come in the day room very often, but he likes to just look out at the garden when he does. Sometimes he reads.” 

“May you introduce us?” Hannibal asked with a warm smile. 

Alana nodded, opening the door and stepping inside. Hannibal followed her inside, wrinkling his nose at the scent of so many Omegas in close proximity. It was just as well he was so controlled; he knew far too many Alphas that would be quaking from the overwhelming sensory stimulation. 

They reached Will and Alana placed a gentle hand on Will’s shoulder just after she called out his name. Hannibal watched him flinch nonetheless. 

“Will, this is Dr. Hannibal Lecter,” Alana introduced them, maintaining her cheerful smile. 

Will turned his head to look at Hannibal. Hannibal’s mind immediately drifted to Rossetti’s _'Proserpine'_ , one of his favoured pre-Raphaelite paintings. Will possessed the same wild hair and ocean blue eyes, his lips full and dark and his expression soft and mournful. Hannibal found himself oddly entranced for a few moments. He held his hand out and smiled gently. 

“I know,” Will said quietly. 

He held Hannibal’s eyes for a moment, flickered them to his still outstretched hand and then returned his gaze to the gardens. Alana cleared her throat uncomfortably as Hannibal dropped his hand. Hannibal acknowledged with a slight fascination that this was possibly the first time in his life he’d ever been _shunned_ by someone, and an Omega at that. How curious. 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you Will,” Hannibal greeted him. 

Will said nothing and simply shifted in his chair. 

“Dr. Lecter has offered to give you some therapy sessions Will,” Alana persisted, her eyes taking on a hard glint. “Remember?” 

“Yes, I remember,” Will responded lifelessly, his voice monotone. 

Alana looked stumped and her brow furrowed, but Hannibal cut her off just as she opened her mouth. 

“How about we take a walk in the garden Will, seeing as your attention is so intently fixed on it?” Hannibal suggested with an amused lilt to his voice. “It’s a pleasant day outside.” 

“Sure.” 

Hannibal would have normally deemed the response rude, in fact their entire interaction had screamed rude at Hannibal. Will just simply interested him with his blunt behaviour. 

The three of them wandered out into the garden, Hannibal walking next to Alana and Will lingering a fair distance off to the side of them. Hannibal noted the rather extreme shaking that possessed Will’s hands, and when he felt eyes on him, Will jerked and brought his arms up to cross them over his chest and hide his hands, his shoulders tensing. 

“It’s the medication,” Will muttered, not looking at him. “That’s all.” 

“Ah, I see,” Hannibal agreed. “Unfortunately medication can have adverse effects such as tremors.” 

Will’s jaw tightened in response. 

“So, how do you feel about some sessions with Dr. Lecter, Will?” Alana asked, swiftly steering the conversation before it get tense again. 

“If you think it will help,” Will mumbled, head down and shoulders shrugging. 

“It has to come from you Will. No one is making you sign up for therapy with Dr. Lecter.” 

“I’d prefer to call it having conversations,” Hannibal offered smoothly. “It’s all rather unofficial Will, merely an option available to you. Think of it as something akin to talking with a friend.” 

Will’s mind brought forth images of Margot and him huddled next to each other on his bed, talking in hushed voices of Mason’s sadism. He shuddered. 

“Alright,” Will responded. “I’ll try.” 

“Excellent,” Hannibal replied, lips sliding up into a pleased smile. “Why don’t we begin now?” 

“Here?” Will asked, stopping momentarily, wide eyes sweeping around the garden. 

“Yes, unless you’d prefer to talk elsewhere,” Hannibal responded. “I see no need for the two of us to be sat across from each other in a stuffy therapy room somewhere.” 

Will swallowed. “Yes. I think I’d like that.” 

“I’ll leave you two to it then,” Alana announced. “Thank you for agreeing to this Will; I think it’ll really help. Dr. Lecter is a wonderful therapist... and a wonderful friend.” 

With that she turned and left them alone in the peaceful grounds. Will noted with curiosity that Dr. Lecter was the first Alpha he’d been left alone with since he’d been whisked away from Muskrat Farm. Alana must really trust this man. He was appealing, Will had to admit. His scent alone captivated Will. It was dark and rich, full of flavour and so heavy he could almost feel it on his tongue. He felt almost dizzy at the heady spices and warmth that flooded his nostrils. 

“How are you finding Port Haven?” Hannibal enquired politely. 

“It’s... stifling,” Will admitted, keeping his eyes on the ground beneath him. “It’s so different.” 

“Different from Muskrat Farm?” 

“From everything. Everything here is too... _soft_ ,” Will told him, spitting out the final word as if it was acid in his mouth. 

Hannibal noted with interest how un-Omegan this was. An Omega who disliked softness and comfort was unheard of. But no, Hannibal could see Will preferred something more real; gritty. He imagined Will in Muskrat Farm and its bleakness, then Louisiana with its sweltering heat and oily boat yards.

“Yes,” Hannibal mused, glancing down at the Omega. “I imagine it is rather different from Muskrat Farm and Louisiana. I suppose we have Dr. Bloom to blame for her love of pastels.” 

Will snorted. “I suppose.” 

Hannibal waited for him to speak again, and when he didn’t he simply focused his attention on the soft trickle of the stream running alongside them and sweet chirping of birds. Moments passed in silence like this as they slowly strolled through the grounds, neither of them speaking. 

It was Will who broke the silence, to Hannibal’s surprise. 

“Why did you want to meet me? To have ‘conversations’ with me?” 

Hannibal smiled at him, fixing him with a firm look. “I confess I was rather selfishly intrigued. Alana has spoken of you quite often and I offered to assist her in your therapy.” 

“What makes you think she needs assisting?” Will asked carefully, slowly beginning to pick Hannibal apart. “Has she told you how frustratingly unsuccessful my sessions are with her, how I just tell her what she wants to hear and I never open up properly?” 

Hannibal smirked at the boy’s question, tweaking an eyebrow up in surprise. He was insightful, and Hannibal wondered how far this insight could extend into manipulation. 

“Perhaps I felt a defensiveness for my friend and colleague when I heard of her patient who was stubbornly making her sit through such painfully unproductive sessions when she is merely trying to help you.” 

“Oh, I see,” Will replied dryly. “So there’s a set of guidelines I should be sticking to, a proper way of doing therapy? A proper way of not being fucked up any more?” 

Hannibal would have found the swearing crude if it had not come from the sweet, drawling Louisiana accent. “You admitted yourself you know you are not engaging with her. You were the one to bring in the word unsuccessful.” 

“So you’re the bad cop then, come in to whip me into shape because Alana’s good cop approach isn’t working?” 

“Therapists bear few similarities to law enforcement Will,” Hannibal grinned. “And I would like it if you were able to separate me from the role of therapist. I’m not here to take over Alana’s job.” 

“So what are you then?” 

“That is up to you,” Hannibal replied sincerely. “Although I would like it if we could become friends.” 

Will simply hummed, growing quiet again. 

“Alana cares for you very much,” Hannibal told him, admiring the striking line of his jaw as they walked. “She is merely striving for you to engage with the events of the last three years and begin to move towards recovery.” 

“I worry she’s wasting her time,” Will sighed. 

“You think yourself beyond help?” Hannibal asked him, raising an eyebrow. 

“I don’t know how to be this thing she wants,” Will confessed. “Dr. Bloom wants me to get better and get back out into the world, and I don’t know how to be that person. I don’t know if I’m capable of getting _better_ or if I even want to. I don’t always feel like I have the energy to try.” 

“Is there a particular reason you feel like you can’t recover?” 

Will stopped, frowning as he gazed out at the row of trees covering the high brick wall that encased the garden. “I don’t really feel anything Dr. Lecter.” 

Hannibal let them lapse into silence, regarding Will. He observed how he let his trembling hands hang freely at his sides and the defeated slouch of his shoulders. He looked so forlorn and rather incredible, Hannibal found himself thinking, so beautiful underneath all the marred scars and fatigue. He felt himself recoil from his completely unexpected and unwarranted attraction to the Omega, as the psychiatrist in him analysed with interest this fascination he was rapidly beginning to cultivate for Will Graham. It was a rather unpleasant combination, being so appalled at his instincts stirring to life after being dormant for so many years whilst he was also so intrigued at his Alpha reactions to the Omega. Hannibal hadn’t desired anyone in years; of course he _admired_ beauty, he found himself helpless to his appreciation of beautiful and fine things. It was his weakness. He hadn’t, however, _wanted_ anyone like this in so long. In years, he had not been curious as to what it would feel like to run his hands through someone else’s hair, to twine his fingers together with theirs, to press his head against another’s chest and relish in their heartbeat – 

_Stop_. 

Hannibal simply couldn’t let his imagination wander with Will, could not entertain any sort of vague notion or curiosity. He was underage for a start, at least thirty years younger than Hannibal. That in itself was unacceptable. He was undoubtedly damaged and unstable and technically still a stranger. It would be completely unethical and immoral for Hannibal to even allow himself to address his attraction to him. He would squash it, suppress it until it passed. He was, after all, the master of his emotions. 

“A survival reaction,” Hannibal replied calmly. “We have the ability to detach from our emotions in order to preserve ourselves.”

“And what would happen if I attached myself to them again?” Will asked with disdain. “Would I lose it and go off the deep end?” 

“There is only one way to find out I suppose,” Hannibal told him. “Think of it more like trying to dip your toes in the water rather than jumping in head first. A gradual emergence into your feelings would be the best approach.” 

“How do I even begin to do that?” Will asked hoarsely, sounding tired suddenly. 

“Tell me Will,” Hannibal began. “Do you have flash backs? Little snippets of memory that come back to you now and then?” 

Will tensed. “Why?”

“It is often the case that when we are struggling to engage with our emotions and attach ourselves again that we are suppressing the events that have caused us distress in the first place. Flashbacks are our mind’s way of reminding us of what has caused us to feel detached. A prompt, if you will, that there are things in the backs of our minds that need addressing.” 

“So I need to start remembering things?” Will asked. “Let myself experience it and then I’ll start to feel again and be able to move on?” 

“Ideally, yes,” Hannibal responded softly. “It’s not always the case that this works though, and it can be a long, drawn out process.” 

“I remember a lot of it though,” Will told him, frowning again. “I remember...” 

Hannibal looked over at him, his face inquisitive. “Yes?” 

“I... struggle to... to say it,” Will confessed. 

They neared a bench and Will sank down on it, as if drained of his energy. Hannibal slowly lowered himself onto the bench, keeping a distance between them. Will sat hunched forwards, curling his arms around himself in an unconscious attempt to comfort himself. Hannibal could smell the sting of anxiety coming from Will, his scent becoming acrid and slightly bitter. Hannibal’s hands twitched reflexively, wanting to reach out and wrap himself around the boy. 

“Do you find yourself struggling to describe what Mason did to you?” 

“I don’t even want to hear it coming from my own mouth,” Will muttered darkly. “I don’t want _him_ having any part in my life anymore.” 

“And you feel that by even voicing aloud the things he did that he still controls you?” 

Will opened his mouth but then closed it again, eyes fixated on his shoes. “When Alana talks to me about it, I describe it to her, but it doesn’t really fit what happened. I tell her that he fucked me, beat me, forced me to do things... I don’t tell her how much it hurt, or how much I cried or screamed, that I begged him and that... that I...” 

“Will,” Hannibal murmured gently. “You’re starting the process already. Even just a few words can be enough to finally start healing.” 

“I don’t know how to say it though,” Will gritted out in frustration. “I just have a bunch of stupid, broken words.” 

“They are not stupid or broken. They are an admirable start.” 

Will fell into one his silent moments then, a full five minutes passing before he looked up at Hannibal for a fleeting second, his astonishingly blue eyes filled with uncertainty. 

“I haven’t even been able to tell Alana about Mason killing Jasper,” Will whispered suddenly. “I can’t... that’s the first time I’ve even been able to say it aloud.” 

“You are doing incredibly well Will,” Hannibal reassured him. “This is a big step.” 

“I guess so,” Will mumbled, barely audible. “I felt so guilty when I couldn’t say anything to the people that performed Jasper’s post-mortem. I wanted to tell them that I could make a statement, tell them what he did to Jasper but I just froze. I should have told the FBI, should have – ”

“Will,” Hannibal cut him off softly. “You do not need to put these pressures on yourself. Your main focus now should be on yourself and helping yourself.”

Will went rigid and turned to look at Hannibal. “Do you have children Dr. Lecter?” 

Hannibal paused, eyes sweeping over Will. His eyes shone with the promise of feral anger and his lips were twitching, ready to pull back into a defensive snarl. Hannibal found it truly wonderful. “No. I have never bonded or had children.” 

“Then you have absolutely no idea that it is physically _impossible_ to ever put yourself first again once you’ve had children,” Will snapped, scarred knuckles turning white from the pressure of his tightened fists. “I can’t ever put myself first ever again. I have no desire to. I failed my son, Dr. Lecter and I am never going to forgive myself for it. I don’t deserve to help myself, not when I couldn’t even protect Jasper and do the _one_ fucking thing I should have done as a parent.”

And that was when Will Graham cracked and allowed Hannibal to see past his mumbled vagueness. Will wasn’t letting himself recover because he felt he needed to punish himself for Jasper’s death. He blamed himself and was lashing out at himself and it made something inside of Hannibal twinge painfully. 

“So not allowing yourself to recover is your own personal punishment for yourself for what you believe you’ve done wrong?” Hannibal asked, needing Will to confirm it. 

“If that’s what you want to call it,” Will bit back bitterly. 

Before Hannibal could speak again, Will swiftly rose to his feet and turned on Hannibal. 

“It was nice to meet you Dr. Lecter,” Will stiffly forced out, his eyes looking misty and swimming. “I’m sorry if I’ve wasted your time today.” 

“Wasted my time?” Hannibal repeated, nearly laughing. “No Will, of course not. The complete opposite in fact. I have very much enjoyed meeting you and being allowed to speak with you. I would very much like to meet you again if you would be so kind.” 

Will grimaced, eyes flickering everywhere but Hannibal’s face. “I...” 

“Of course, if you wish for me to cease any contact with you I will say goodbye and leave you in the good hands of Dr. Bloom.” 

“No!” Will blurted out, his eyes wide and mouth twisting in shock at his outburst. “I mean I... I want you to come back if you... God, I’m sorry.” 

“Please Will, it’s me that should be apologising,” Hannibal replied steadily. “I have clearly made you uncomfortable.” 

“You can come back,” Will swallowed. “If you like.” 

“I would like to very much Will,” Hannibal smiled warmly. “Thank you.” 

Will just gave him a stiff, curt nod, shoving his hands into his pockets and walking back towards the day room, jerking his head to look back to ensure Hannibal was walking with him. 

Hannibal very briefly allowed himself to inhale a deep lungful of the alluring scent that lingered around Will, a scent of comforting warmth and unknown undertones of something darker and more exhilarating. A wonderful combination, Hannibal mused to himself. 

 

Will went straight to his room after Hannibal left, nearly hyperventilating after he slammed the door shut. He sank down to the floor against the door, drawing his knees up to his chest and placing his palms flat on the floor. 

Ten toes. Feet. Ankles, calves, knees. Thighs, hips, stomach. Abdomen. Lungs filling up and deflating again. Heart. Collar bones. Shoulder blades and spine. Arms, elbows, wrists. Pulse. Hands, knuckles eight fingers and two thumbs. Neck and throat. Jaw. Teeth. Tongue and gums, cheeks and ears. Nose, eyebrows and eyes. Skull and cranium. Hair. _This and this and this_. 

The process helped him to ground himself. Recounting as many body parts as he could forced him to focus on making sure he could feel his own being again, bring him down. By the time he was done, his chest wasn’t heaving with panicked breaths anymore. 

_What the fuck was that?_

Who was this doctor that had just walked into Port Haven and stripped him back to his core within a meagre hour? Will felt well and truly rattled, shaken. Hannibal Lecter was _dangerous_ , Will decided. No one had ever dismantled him that quickly and then simply watched with a cool gaze and a small smile as he told him to put himself back together again. No one had ever made him feel so on edge, made him so aware of every little thing about himself right down to point where the air around him felt like it vibrated from a single breath. Dr. Lecter made his blood sting. 

Will reached a trembling hand up to the back of his neck to touch his mating bite. It stung to touch and had felt like it was on the fire the entire time Dr. Lecter had been with him. Will thought back to what Nick had told him in the hospital, about how he would experience pain in the small bundle of nerves and gland underneath the bite for a few months. He hadn’t said it would feel like he was getting burnt alive, like someone was flaying his skin from his neck and shoving scolding pokers into his nerves. It made Will nauseous. 

He shouldn’t have agreed to meet him again. _Stupid_ , Will thought to himself. _Stupid, stupid, stupid_. It was like he hadn’t been in control of his own mouth, the words just pouring from him in a garbled mess, like vomiting at Hannibal’s shiny, Italian leather shoed feet. Why had he said he’d meet him again? Hannibal was going to chip away at every little bit of the walls Will had fortified for himself, sliding away one brick at a time. He could see it now. Hannibal walking in the gardens with him every day, sitting in his room with him by the window just so innocently dismantling everything he’d structured in his own head. 

Will’s eyes focused out of their blurry state to stare at the tiny little urn resting on the bedside table. 

_You have absolutely no idea that it is physically impossible to ever put yourself first again_. 

It was true, and Will knew it to his core. Some nights he wondered whether he was really even a parent. He’d never nurtured Jasper, never held him properly, never rocked him to sleep or fed him more than once. He would never get to grasp on to tiny hands or stroke the first locks of hair or read bed time stories. 

Will only wished he’d created a more intricate, violent death for Mason. 

He remained on the floor, staring at the urn. His father’s solicitor – it had startled Will that his father had even been able to afford a solicitor – had written to him a few weeks ago to inform him his father had left him everything in his will. The money had been set up in an account in his name and was accessible at any point, the solicitor told him. Will had inherited the trailer and their old boat too. The letter had explained that the arrangements for the will had been set up the moment that Will’s mother had packed up and left when he was a few weeks old. Will never wondered where she was, where she’d gone to. Who she was. His father had always reiterated that Will didn’t need her. They got by just fine, thank you very much, just the two of them. 

Will decided he would ask Alana to help him buy a plane ticket to Louisiana with the money his father had left him. He’d go and scatter Jasper’s ashes, visit the old trailer park one more time and then get his father’s solicitor to sell the trailer and the boat. There was no point in keeping it. There was nothing left for him in Louisiana anymore. There never really had been.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for forcing my art student-ness on you all, but if anyone is interested in the painting that Hannibal was comparing Will to, you can find it [here](https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/rossetti-proserpine-n05064). I hope you can see the similarities that I do!


	6. Sixth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Margot is unhelpful, Will's grip on reality slips and Hannibal makes soup.

Margot forced herself to take a series of deep breaths as she sat in the car park of Port Haven. It was raining today, a steady and miserable drizzle that seemed to seep into her bones. She had managed to get about five hours of sleep last night, which was more than she’d been getting most nights. Every time she closed her eyes she heard the shrieking of Mason’s pigs and saw his body slouched against his bed with his guts hanging from his abdomen, his skinless face. 

_Exhale_. 

She swiftly exited the car and made her way into the reception. The receptionist smiled at her, glancing up from the computer. 

“Good afternoon Miss Verger,” she smiled brightly. “Here to see Mr. Graham?”

“Yes,” she mumbled, fumbling to put the umbrella down. 

“Take a seat and I’ll let Dr. Bloom know you’re here.” 

Margot lowered herself onto the plush sofa in the waiting room, eyes darting about nervously. She disliked Port Haven, nearly as much as Will did. It was too close to home, too much of a reminder that she could have ended up here as well. The law simply didn’t allow any comprehension for the possibility that Omegas could commit crimes; Omegas were just shipped off to psych wards rather than being arrested. They were too _delicate_ , after all. The FBI wouldn’t have hesitated to send her packing along with Will if they knew she’d orchestrated this whole lie. 

The soft step of Alana Bloom greeted her ears and she glanced up to take in the sight of chocolate waves, rose tinted cheeks and vibrant blue eyes. 

Margot’s chest constricted. 

“Dr. Bloom,” she smiled, standing up. “Thank you for allowing me to see Will at such short notice. I’ll make sure I get in touch next time.” 

“It’s no problem at all Margot. You’re more than welcome to drop by any time,” Alana beamed sweetly. 

As they walked, Alana glanced over to Margot. “You know, your visits here don’t always have to be about Will. I know you’re trying to provide a support network for him, but you need your own network  
Margot. I’m always happy to talk if you need someone.” 

“Offering me therapy, Dr. Bloom?” Margot chided her shyly. “I hope you’re not trying to get me to move in here too.” 

“I’m not always on the war path trying to get everyone I meet admitted to Port Haven,” Alana chuckled. “I just can’t switch off the worrying, especially with Will. I know I couldn’t do what you’re doing and I certainly know I couldn’t sit alone at Muskrat Farm all day with no one to turn to.” 

“And what makes you think I have no one to turn to?” Margot asked, raising a perfectly plucked and shaped eyebrow. 

“Maybe that was presumptuous of me,” Alana admitted apologetically. “But am I wrong?” 

“No,” Margot replied slowly. “No, you’re not.” 

They reached Will’s bedroom and Alana knocked softly against the wood. The door opened a few seconds later and Will peered around the door, bleary eyed. Margot noted he still hadn’t put any weight on, his face still too thin. Too many protruding bones. His hair was mussed and unkempt and he smelt of a deep, dreamless sleep. The bags underneath his eyes bulged slightly when he smiled in greeting. 

“Hey Margot,” Will croaked, his voice thick with sleep. “Come in.” 

“I’ll see you later Margot,” Alana said politely, turning and leaving them. 

Margot watched her leave. 

Will shut the door behind her when she stepped inside and he dropped himself into one of the armchairs by his window. She joined him, sitting in the other chair facing him. 

“I’m still not sure it’s ok that you’re paying the bills for this,” Will told her, rubbing his eyes and gesturing a flailing hand at the room. 

“I’m sure Dr. Bloom would have found some sort government funding for you to be here regardless,” Margot soothed him. “She was determined to get you under her care.” 

“Yeah. She was.” 

They regarded each other for a few moments. Margot observed Will’s trembling hands and Will observed the half moons of purple sitting neatly beneath her eyes. Margot took in his rattling breath and nervous blinking and Will took in her unhealthily pale pallor.

“We look like shit,” Will remarked. 

“That we do,” Margot agreed, grinning at him. “But then again I’m pretty sure we always have.” 

“Living with your brother will do that to you,” Will laughed dryly. 

“Living on your own does it too apparently.” 

“I keep wanting to ask you if you’re ok each time I see you, but you don’t seem to be getting any closer to it, not close enough for me to ask,” Will sighed. “Maybe you should let me know when you’re nearly ok and then I can ask how you are without sounding like an idiot.” 

“I’ll make sure I let you know,” Margot swallowed. “Sorry I can’t give you a time frame.” 

Will shrugged. “S’alright. Same applies here I guess. Although I feel like I had a sort of break through the other day.” 

“Oh?” 

“Yeah. Last week. Alana’s friend, he’s a psychiatrist. She must have gotten so fed up with not getting anywhere with me she asked him to help out.” 

“What’s he like?” 

“Dr. Lecter is like no one I’ve ever met before.” 

“Is... is he alright with you? He’s not one of those creepy Alpha therapists that use their profession as an excuse to fuck around with Omegas’ heads is he? Mason made me see someone like that once.  
He made me want to be sick.” 

“I don’t think anyone’s ever talked to me like he does,” Will admitted. “Alana and all the other staff here just seem to handle me with kid gloves, but he just... I don’t know, there was no act there. He was just honest with me. I liked it. Made me feel a little bit more normal.” 

“What did you talk about?” 

“About why I can’t get back in touch with how I feel. For the first time I said out loud that Mason killed Jasper,” Will murmured, his face twisted as if in pain. “I actually... actually told someone for the first time.” 

“That’s...,” Margot began but trailed off. “That’s good? I don’t know. I mean obviously you need to talk about it but I know you’re finding it really hard Will. I just...” 

“What, you think he’s playing mind games with me and getting me to say shit I don’t want to?” Will scoffed. “He’s not trying to trick me into something. There’s no reason to be suspicious of him.” 

“I’m finding myself suspicious of pretty much everyone nowadays,” Margot breathed, her voice trembling. “I get so paranoid.” 

“Paranoid they’ll find out you covered up Mason’s death?” 

She nodded. “I keep thinking I’m going to get a knock at the door any day now and they’re going to arrest me and throw me in here with you because they _know_ what I did. Because they know I lied to them and made you lie too.” 

“You were protecting us.” 

“And what if I didn’t do enough Will?” she hissed, eyes widening. “What if I haven’t said enough or I’ve said too much? What if there’s something I’ve missed?!”

“Margot,” Will said calmly, looking her dead in the eye. “The only reason they would ever find out I killed your brother is if either one of us tells someone.” 

Margot sat back, sucking in a sharp breath, clearly struggling to concentrate. “Maybe I deserve to be found out. I’m just as responsible for what Mason did to you as he is.” 

“Oh, don’t,” Will groaned, tipping his head back. “You want to take responsibility for _that_ , Margot? You really want to hold your hands up and say you knew about the trafficking ring and you knew Mason was keeping me in that fucking room the whole time?” 

“I’m an _accomplice_ in all this Will,” Margot snapped, gritting her teeth. “I was involved just as much as Mason was. I acted as his fucking prison guard for God’s sake, and I just sat there and lied until I was blue in the face to Agent Crawford and Dr. Bloom! I denied it all, denied ever even knowing you when the whole damned time I was _helping_ him keep you in that room!” 

Will blinked, taking in her anger. “Yeah. Yeah, you did help him. Yeah, you did keep me there just as much as he did. You could have let me out at any time but you didn’t. You didn’t _do_ anything because he would have found me the minute I set my foot off the property and he would have dragged me straight back. And we both know he would have made you suffer for it.” 

“Jesus Will,” Margot exhaled, leaning back in the armchair. “I don’t know what to do.” 

“Go and tell Dr. Bloom right now if you want. Go and tell her about how you saw me every day for those three years I was at Muskrat Farm, that you knew what he was doing to me. Go and tell her how you just closed the door and walked away whilst I killed your brother. Tell her how you disposed of his body, burnt everything that his blood had touched. Go and tell her if you really feel so bad Margot.” 

“Will - ”

“No, Margot,” Will huffed, bristling. “Don’t sit there and relay to me all the things you’ve done because I know. I was there. Don’t tell me you feel guilty and you don’t know what to do, because you made your decision the minute you tossed Mason into the pit. You made that choice, and you know I don’t care if they know I killed him. I’m doing this for _you_ , telling them the lies you want me to tell them because I care about you.” 

“I’m scared Will,” Margot muttered, desperately trying to qualm the tears that were beginning to emerge. “What if this was the wrong thing to do?” 

“If you think it’s the wrong thing to do, then I already told you; go and tell Dr. Bloom right now and tell the police the whole story. But you have to remember that you’ve already lied Margot. You can’t exactly go and confess everything now and expect not to face a harsher reality. If they know you lied to them, they know that we’ve been conspiring this whole time. They won’t take it lightly.” 

“I feel like I’ve ruined everything,” Margot moaned into her hands. “I’ve ruined it.” 

“Listen to me,” Will muttered, leaning forwards. “Just stop it. You made a choice and by making that choice, you decided for me too. So don’t sit there and tell me how scared or sorry you are, because you’ve had the freedom to choose this whole fucking time Margot. I don’t get that privilege, don’t you see? I don’t _get_ to sit there and cry about all this like you do. I get being holed up in a fucking psych hospital with my son’s fucking ashes sat next to my bed.” 

“I’m so sorry Will,” Margot sobbed. “You don’t understand how sorry I am! I hate myself for this, hate that I let this happen to you! You were just a _child_ for God’s sake, you didn’t deserve any of this. I should have just helped you, I should have just gotten you out of there, called the police, I don’t know!” 

“You were terrified of him,” Will sighed, softening. “I don’t blame you for feeling trapped. He hurt you too Margot. But don’t feel fucking sorry for me, I can’t stand it. The only one who deserves anything in this situation is Jasper.” 

“This is all so fucked Will,” Margot muttered, gripping her hair in her hands. “I just want to fix it.” 

“Fix it?” Will asked incredulously, almost barking out a bitter laugh. “This isn’t the sort of thing you can just fix. All you can do is commit to the situation you’ve created.” 

“This is all my fault. All of this, I could have stopped it all. I could have just phoned the police the night those men dropped you off at the house and what would Mason have done? It would have been too late by the time they got there, he couldn’t have done anything to you then.” 

“There’s no point in thinking about it now,” Will told her, casting his gaze to the window. “It’s done.” 

Margot’s pale, fine fingered hand came to lay over Will’s shaking one, the fingernails half grown back now but the joints still swollen from healing, the bruises yellowing and the cuts and scrapes sitting there with thick, bumpy scabs. The sight of Will’s hands made Margot’s stomach turn and twist. They sat in silence, Will staring out the window and Margot staring at him. 

“So this Dr. Lecter. You think he can help you?” 

Will shrugged. “I want him to be able to. I just don’t know how to do the other part; how to be helped.” 

“Well,” Margot sniffed, swiping a thumb over a deep scab on Will’s knuckle. “If he’s as good as you say he is, I’m sure you’ll work something out with him.”

 

Alana showed her out to the car park, the rain finally ceasing for a few moments. 

“Dr. Bloom?” Margot murmured hesitantly before they said goodbye. 

“Yes Margot?” 

Margot felt like she’d oozed out into a Margot shaped puddle when that smile stretched up on Alana’s lips. “What you were saying before about needing a support network for myself. I... I’ve been thinking about it whilst I was seeing Will.” 

“I see I made a point then,” Alana grinned. 

“Yeah,” Margot smiled in return, hoping her smile wasn’t too grim. “I’d like to... I wanted to ask you how you felt about being part of that support.” 

“I was hoping you might ask,” Alana admitted, her smile turning sheepish. “I’m happy to offer you a life line Margot.”

“I don’t want therapy,” Margot said quickly, a slight tone of panic slipping into her voice. “I just suppose I need someone to talk to. Someone other than Will.” 

Alana nodded. “Of course. Did Will explain to you the situation with Dr. Lecter?” 

“His therapist who’s not really his therapist?” 

“Exactly. Think of it as unofficial, no strings attached. An outlet for you.” 

A smirk pulled at Margot’s lips. “You’re making this sound like something slightly more than unofficial therapy Dr. Bloom.” 

Alana blushed. “Please, call me Alana. Dr. Bloom is for when I’m at work and you’re not my patient Margot. And I’m sorry; I meant more along the lines of getting coffee together when you feel you need someone to talk to.”

Margot smiled and shook her head. “It’s alright... Alana.” 

“Well you have my number,” Alana conceded, feeling uncharacteristically timid. “Call me whenever you need to.”

“Thank you Alana,” Margot murmured sincerely. “It means a lot.” 

“It’s no problem.” 

Alana dug her fingernails into her palms as she watched the Omega slip into her car and pull out of the car park and remained in the entrance to Port Haven until Margot’s car disappeared from sight. _What did you just get yourself into, you idiot?_. 

Shaking her head as if it would clear out all thoughts of Margot Verger, Alana turned and strode back into the building. She had two more patients scheduled in with her that afternoon and then Hannibal had agreed to come over to see Will again. There were other things to focus on right now, things other than rounded blue eyes and unsure little smiles that made her so frustratingly distracted. 

Hannibal had filled her in on his first meeting with Will after the Omega had abruptly ended their time together and had sent Hannibal back to Alana whilst he vanished to his bedroom. Alana wasn’t surprised by the flighty behaviour. Will often walked out of group therapy sessions and bolted himself in his room or refused to sit and eat even half of a meal before he was found curled up in a corner of the garden, aimlessly staring at the sky. Alana hadn’t expected, however, to find Hannibal so hung up about it. He seemed disappointed that Will had practically fled, but Alana just supposed that was because he wasn’t used to Will’s behaviour yet. He was used to neurotic patients who wailed in his pristine office and demanded his attention. Will didn’t demand anything of anyone.  
Alana busied herself with paperwork and her patients for the rest of the afternoon, filling out new anti-anxiety prescriptions for both of her patients. It was something she did far too often, she felt. She hated dosing people up on medication, but the majority of the Omegas at Port Haven practically begged for the medication. It was the only way they could sleep at night most of the time. Alana reviewed Will’s medication notes after her last patient left her office. 

The usual anti-depressants Port Haven prescribed. Heat suppressants as well. Alana pressed her lips together. Will rarely spoke of his sexuality to her. It wasn’t as if Alana expected him to, but she felt that a lot of Will’s problems stemmed from his struggle to accept that he had never had the right experience with presenting. It was just another thing he felt disconnected from. He hadn’t had the caring and careful environment Omegas needed for presenting. He’d been thrust into the worst situation imaginable and forced to deal with this bizarre new aspect of himself. Despite experiencing multiple heats and pregnancies and even child birth – things Alana had never herself experienced – Will still seemed to be uncomfortable with being an Omega, still couldn’t seem to grasp it. Alana had hoped that by being surrounded by other Omegas, Will would perhaps reach out to them and start un-scramble all of his confusion and frustration. 

He hadn’t, of course. He’d barely breathed a word to anyone. 

She knew the other Omegas talked about him. Knew they whispered to each other about the boy who’d been subjected to such awful things far too young. She knew he made them uneasy because he wasn’t like them. It was true they weren’t like other Omegas, but Will was different tenfold. He didn’t cry like they did, didn’t desperately seek out comfort and solace, and didn’t open himself to anything. He was cold and harsh and silent, and even to Omegas that were deemed fractured by the outside world, Will was abnormal to them. 

Alana had come to the conclusion that Hannibal may be Will’s only hope. 

 

“How has he been since we met last week?” Hannibal enquired as they walked to the dining room where Alana had spotted Will earlier. 

“The usual. We can barely get him to partake in group therapy sessions, his sessions with me are almost painful he’s so reluctant to talk to me. He’s still not eating properly or attempting to socialise with the others.” 

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Hannibal told her earnestly. “I know it frustrates you so to watch him relentlessly dig his heels in. I imagine you feel quite stuck with him.” 

“Stuck is right,” Alana agreed. “But I’m not deterred. He’s trying to throw me off, make me come to the conclusion that he’s a lost cause but I’m not budging either. We’re just as stubborn as each other I suppose.” 

Hannibal simply smiled to himself, allowing Alana to go into the dining room before him. There were a couple of Omegas in the room, sitting together round neat squared tables, talking in low voices. Will was sat on his own, as Hannibal suspected he would be. He was slumped in his chair, one arm on the table propping his head up whilst the other hand gripped his fork and pushed his food around the plate. He was wearing glasses this time, Hannibal noted. Hannibal stopped himself before he could address the fact he found the look completely endearing. 

_Professional_ , Hannibal reminded himself. _P-r-o-f-e-s-s-i-o-n-a-l._

Will glanced up as they neared the table. Hannibal noted with interest the twitch in his jaw and the slight dilation of Will’s pupils. His scent crawled into Hannibal’s nose, the same sultry, warm and promising scent. It was as if a hidden part of the Omega was whispering to him. _There are things you don’t know about me, Dr. Lecter._

“Good evening Will,” Hannibal greeted him smoothly, offering him warm smile. “How are you?” 

“Hello,” was all Will offered him in return. 

“Will, I feel like I’m sixteen again and babysitting my neighbour’s child,” Alana laughed softly. “Doing the whole ‘you’re not allowed to leave the table until you’ve finished your dinner’.” 

Will shrugged. “Well the nurse didn’t quite say it like that to me, but he may as well have. Apparently I need to eat everything on this plate if I want to leave.” 

Hannibal seated himself at the table opposite Will. “You need your strength Will.” 

Will merely sent him a half hearted glare before looking back down at the plate, fork scraping against the porcelain as he continued to push his food about. Alana sighed and placed a hand on Will’s shoulder. 

Hannibal watched him flinch at the gesture just as he had done the first he met Will. Despite how soft Alana’s approach was, it still seemed to make Will recoil. 

“Please Will, try to eat more,” Alana encouraged him. “I’m expecting that plate empty by the time you’re done talking to Hannibal.” 

Will made a noise of disgust and glowered at her as she left. “Looks like you’re going to be here for a while then Dr. Lecter.” 

“I have no issue with that.” 

Will bit the inside of his cheek and attempted to suppress the heat that prickled down his spine at his response. 

“Have you no appetite today Will?” Hannibal asked him, eyes drifting down to the plate of bland, unappealing food. He didn’t blame Will. 

“No appetite today. No appetite yesterday. Just no appetite in general,” Will replied, his voice thin and worn out. “I’m _pining_ , don’t you know Dr. Lecter?” 

“You say it as though you disagree with yourself.” 

“I don’t know what’s going on with me,” Will muttered, waving his fork in the air. “Just telling you what the nurses are saying. I’m pining for my mate apparently.” 

The thought of it caused a flash of anger to burst into Hannibal’s thoughts. The thought of Will being mated to someone else was unpleasant to say the very least, and his reaction the situation was something Hannibal did _not_ want to think about now. He didn’t want to think about what it meant that he felt anything negative whatsoever about Will being bonded to someone else. 

“Perhaps. My guess would be that it is your son that is the cause of your disinterest in food, or any other meaningful activity for that matter. I doubt you hold much affection for Mason Verger.” 

“No affection whatsoever other than the affection my biology dictates I have to feel,” Will bit back. “Hate isn’t a good enough word for what I felt for Mason. Unfortunately being an Omega means that you would want to die for your mate no matter how they treat you.” 

“Was that what it was like being bonded to Mason?” Hannibal asked delicately, his voice careful and strained. “A biological urge to care for him despite hating him?”

“Alana told me forced bonds are always weaker, but prevalent nonetheless,” Will sighed. “It turns out I’m not exempt from that rule. Being bonded to Mason was sickening. I hated it, hated myself for it and hated him. I couldn’t help but want to... to make him _happy_. It was like some sort of sick joke. I wanted nothing more than to get out of there and run, but the bond tied me to him.” 

“And now?” Hannibal pushed him. “How does your bond make you feel now?” 

“I try not to think about it,” Will swallowed. “I try not to think about him at all. Even thinking of his face makes my skin crawl.” 

_I suppose that’s why I skinned him_ , Will thought to himself. 

“The intimacy of a bond must be difficult to accept,” Hannibal murmured, his face thoughtful. “Having it forced upon you at such a young age must have tinted your feelings towards the whole concept of bonding.” 

“I think it’s the most dreadful thing that has ever existed,” Will replied flatly, his eyes hard and unfaltering. “I don’t understand why we have to be vulnerable to the possibility that we can be tied to someone like that. The fact that Mason did the things he did and yet I was still forced by my biology to care about him in some way, just because he pinned me down and _bit_ me... it doesn’t seem fair.” 

“It sounds like you’ve given it a lot of thought,” Hannibal observed. 

“Of course I have. I didn’t have much else to do while I was locked in that room. There are days when I wish I could just cut the scar from the bite away and remove my mating gland.” 

Hannibal was slightly surprised by how brutally honest Will was being with him about such an intimate topic, one that many of his other Omega patients avoided and blushed over as if it was some sort of dirty secret. Hannibal then reminded himself that of course Will was so bleak and open about it, he was never subjected to the embarrassed attitude society approached Omega sexuality with. Will had had no one to talk to other than Mason about things like bonding and mating. Hannibal couldn’t imagine Mason being subtle about the topic. 

“There are some countries that actually provide such services,” Hannibal informed him. “They have doctors that will operate to remove a mating bite and the mating gland.” 

“Really?” Will asked, his interesting piquing. “What happens?” 

“It’s a controversial procedure. A lot of the Omegas who undergo the surgery die. The physical stress of having a mating mark removed along with the gland is an extreme process for Omegas to go through.” 

“And the ones that don’t die?” 

“The research shows they all slip into severe depressions. There are a lot of suicides.” 

Will sat back in his chair with a huffed sigh, clearly displeased by the news. 

“Would you consider such a surgery?” 

“Absolutely,” Will immediately replied. 

“And what if in the future you changed your mind? If you came to regret that decision?” 

“And why would I regret ridding myself of something I despise and never asked for?” Will asked sharply, narrowing his eyes at Hannibal. 

Hannibal shrugged casually. “You may wish to start a family. You may wish to bond with someone at some point in the future.” 

“You and I have very different versions of my future Dr. Lecter,” Will smiled weakly. 

“And what is the future that you imagine for yourself, Will Graham?” 

“One where there isn’t any children and there is no mate,” Will scoffed, the reaction defensive but clearly disguising the hurt beneath. “I won’t go through it again.” 

Hannibal considered this for a moment then, regarding the fidgeting Omega with trembling hands in front of him. Will gazed back at him for an unusually long time, nothing like his normal fleeting glances and awkward shifting looks. He broke his gaze again, eventually, dropping it down to the plate in from of him on the table. 

“I think,” Hannibal began softly, still watching him. “That if it was the other way around and I was in your position, knowing that I was capable of having a future and a life outside of Mason Verger would be the biggest act of revenge towards him. Knowing I could choose in the future, have the freedom to love who I wanted would be the worst thing possible for someone like Mason. It would make him turn in his grave to have worked so hard to make your life unbearable and then know you were happy and had the things he never wanted you to have.” 

“I believe the point of revenge is that the other person experiences it, and experiences it deeply,” Will said lowly, his eyes flickering over Hannibal’s face. “What good would that version of revenge be to me when Mason will never know about it?” 

Hannibal grinned. 

Will wasn’t expecting the wide, gleaming smile that crept upon Hannibal’s lips and it made his skin feel hot and the shiny scarred flesh at the back of his neck throbbed. 

_If only you knew how wonderful you are, Will_ , Hannibal mused, finding himself utterly delighted with the subtle display of darkness presented for him. It was beautiful. He wanted to delve his hands into that darkness, immerse himself in, in _Will_. He wanted to nourish that darkness and watch it blossom under his guidance. He wanted to move across the table and trap Will in his arms and never let him go. 

“Did you ever fantasise about killing Mason, Will?” Hannibal asked him, his eyes gleaming with knowledge of where he was steering Will. 

What he did not expect was for Will to freeze in his seat and look as if Hannibal had just walked in on him completely nude. Will looked as if he wanted to crawl out of his own skin, and Hannibal fancied that he could hear Will’s heart crashing around messily in his ribcage. Will’s scent became clogged with fear, the scent curling around Hannibal’s senses. 

“Excuse me?” Will choked out, his voice high and horrified and barely above a whisper. 

“Did you ever think about killing him?” Hannibal repeated. 

Will went silent again and averted his eyes to his plate of cold, untouched food. “I think I’d like to end this conversation Dr. Lecter. I’m not feeling very well.” 

“Are you truly not feeling well, Will, or are you simply retreating as you did last time when I introduced a topic to you that you found uncomfortable?” 

Will looked at him and Hannibal did not miss the soft, Omegan whine in the back of Will’s throat and the pleading in his eyes. It made Hannibal almost purr at the submission, made him want to taste the anxious sweat that was prickling on Will’s skin. 

“I don’t feel well,” Will repeated through gritted teeth. 

Hannibal watched him squirm in his seat and wondered how long he could keep Will trapped with nothing but his gaze, nothing but a commanding look that would make him slither to his knees if Hannibal wished it. 

“Is there anything I can do?” Hannibal offered. 

Will did look slightly queasy, to be fair. His skin had paled to an ashy grey and his hands were trembling even more than usual. His chest started to rise and fall more rapidly, more sharply and his eyelids were fluttering. 

“Will? Can you look at me?” Hannibal called out to him, sounding a million miles away. 

Will wanted to throw his plate of untouched food at Hannibal’s head he was so angry. How had he just caused Will to tip over the edge with a simple question, send him spiralling into the beginnings of a panic attack? He hadn’t had a single panic attack the whole time he had been at Port Haven and it seemed that all it took was one look and a few words from the Alpha and Will was diving head first into one. 

“Will?”

He tried to clutch at the table but the ground felt like it was slipping away from him. He couldn’t _breathe_. The panic was rising in his chest like a rumbling tsunami, crashing through his senses and pulling any sort of sense he had along with it as he began to flail in his own mind. 

He didn’t feel Hannibal’s hands touching him, didn’t feel him lift him out his chair and guide him out of the dining room. He didn’t notice the frantic whispers from the other Omegas in the room, didn’t notice how Hannibal was practically holding him up as sobs and choked breaths gurgled from his throat and his eyes rolled. The sweat was sliding over his skin and he felt like his lungs were going to burst. He couldn’t get enough air in and his skin felt like it was tightening around his bones. It was just like the moments at Muskrat Farm when all it took was a single smile from Mason to send him over the edge, to cower in the corner of his room and scream and plead. 

Mason. Mason and his snigger and his cold, gripping hands and his hot breath in Will’s ear. 

Will felt delirious. 

The hands around him suddenly felt far too familiar and _wrong_ , so wrong. He needed to get away, needing to wrangle himself free and run. 

“No, no, no,” Will whispered to himself. “No, no, no!”

The hands around him did not relent their hold and Will felt like he was going to pass out. There were voices everywhere, all of them sounding exactly like Mason. Will could feel his nails digging into his skin and he waited for the first bite, the first fist. Mason’s face leered up in front of him, sneering at Will like he always did. Always so _disappointed_.

“I’m sorry, I’m _sorry_ Mason,” Will sobbed, tears beginning to stream down his face. 

God, he couldn’t breathe. His skin was on fire. 

Hannibal watched Will squirm and shake as the orderlies and nurses took him from his grasp and attempted to arrange Will into the recovery position, but the minute Will went to the floor he began to scream. He was delusional, completely immersed in a full blown panic attack sent straight from the memories of Mason Verger. He was most likely reliving Mason raping him, no doubt hallucinating his dead mate was there in the corridor with them, pinning him down. 

“ _Get off me! Mason no, no_ \- ” Will screeched, hitting out at the nurse closest to him. Her skin cracked at the contact of his hand on her face. 

She gasped and recoiled and Hannibal was about to intervene when Alana’s voice reached his ears. 

“Will?!” 

She hurried to him, eye wide with shock. “Will, can you hear me?” 

“Mason, I’m sorry,” Will sobbed violently, turning his head into the carpet beneath him. He was practically vibrating he was shaking so much, still trying to fight against the orderlies and nurses that were pinning him down. 

Alana attempted to reach out for him but quickly withdrew her hand when Will let out another heart wrenching scream, his sobs choking in his throat. 

“The _baby_ Mason, please the baby! Please don’t, the _baby_!” Will wailed into the carpet, convulsing as he shook and fought against the nurses. 

“He needs to be sedated,” Hannibal told Alana in a low voice, not taking his eyes off of Will. “He’s going to either harm one of your staff or himself if he’s not sedated immediately.”

Just as Hannibal predicted, Will began attempting to claw at his own skin. The attempt was in vain, as Will’s fingernails were too blunt and not fully grown back yet. One of the orderlies released his grip on Will and darted down the corridor to the medical supplies room, throwing the door open. 

“Will,” Alana uttered soothingly. “Will, I need you to listen to me. No one is going to hurt you. You’re in Port Haven. You are _safe_.” 

“I’m sorry,” Will continued to blabber nonsensically, his eyes rolling his head as he gasped in a lungful of air. “I’m sorry Mason, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m - ”

“Got it,” the orderly grunted upon his return. 

“His neck, we can’t keep his arms pinned down still enough,” one of the nurses instructed him. 

The orderly nodded grimly and approached the flailing, sobbing Omega. He moved Will’s hair away from the skin of his neck and Hannibal saw his mating bite for the first time. It made him feel nauseous and that was not a feeling Hannibal Lecter was familiar with. The bite was deep and so thickly scarred, not yet beginning to fade after Mason’s death. The severity of the scar looked as if it would take longer than usual to fade. It looked like Mason had bitten and ripped into Will far too many times to count. 

Will went alarmingly still when his hair was moved and he felt contact with his neck. “NO!” 

The orderly injected him swiftly, the sedative flooding Will’s blood stream. 

“No, no, no,” Will continued to sob, still struggling. “I don’t want it, I don’t want it Mason!” 

“Ssh,” Alana soothe him, looking like she was about to cry. “It’s ok Will, you’re ok. You’re safe.” 

“No... no I don’t want...,” Will began to slur, his movements growing weaker. “Mason...” 

It took all of Hannibal’s strength to not go to the Omega, to stop himself from scooping him up into his arms and touching every part of Will. He wanted to bury his face in his neck and his hands in his hair. 

Will finally went lax but still continued to shake as if he was nearly fitting. Soft, wordless mumbles fell from his mouth and were lost into the carpet, his eyes rolling hazily in their sockets as his lids began to sink. 

“Jesus,” Alana breathed, shakily placing a hand in Will’s hair and stroking the curls. “What just happened?” 

“Will said he did not feel well,” Hannibal told her, his voice sounding unusually hoarse and shaken. “He started having a panic attack and it escalated. Immensely.” 

Alana looked up at him from where she knelt on the floor next to the quivering Omega. “This is the first time anything like this has happened to him.” 

“He was doing incredibly well,” Hannibal told her. “He just seemed to turn suddenly.” 

Alana looked back down at Will and let out a breath she hadn’t realised she’d been holding. “We need to get him into bed.” 

Hannibal stepped back as the orderlies gingerly gathered the limp Omega together and one of them picked him up. Hannibal felt a tense pang of ferocity at the sight of another’s arms cradling Will, one arm under his knees and the other around his torso as his head lolled over the side. He and Alana followed the orderly to Will’s room and watched as he placed Will down in the bed. Hannibal felt slightly overwhelmed at Will’s scent hitting him in the face like a brick wall. His smell was so strong here, clinging to every surface and resting in the air like dense fog. Hannibal clasped his hands together a little too tightly. 

Alana was leaning over Will in the bed, pushing his hair back from his face and feeling his forehead like an attentive, worried mother. “He’s burning up.” 

“You will have him monitored throughout the night, yes?” Hannibal asked her, frowning. “I’m worried Will may be suffering more from Mason’s death than he is letting on. The physical effects of the bond dissolving are clearly having a toll on him.” 

“Of course,” Alana murmured. “I’m going to watch him myself. This is so unlike him.” 

“It reminds me of an Omega who was my patient years ago. Her mate died and she started to lose an interest in everything. She eventually stopped coming to therapy and I discovered she’d been admitted to a hospital because she’d started fitting and hallucinating. She had to spend the next few years of her life sedated the effects of the bond dissolving were that bad.” 

“That’s not going to happen to Will,” Alana stated determinedly. “He’s going to be fine. This is just an episode, I’m sure of it. Will’s only ties to Mason were the physical ones the bond created. He didn’t actually _care_ for Mason. He never felt anything for him.” 

“No, but his relationship with Mason was so complicated that I fear the trauma is causing the process to be even worse,” Hannibal disagreed. “This entire thing is upside down for Will.” 

Alana fixed her gaze on Will, biting her lip. “I won’t have him subjected to touch therapy if you are about to suggest it.” 

“I wasn’t. But it helps with some grieving Omegas.” 

“Will is grieving his son, Hannibal. Not his mate. He doesn’t need an Alpha to swamp him with any unnecessary confusion that would result from touch therapy. Can you imagine how traumatic it would be for him? To have gone through the last three years petrified of the only Alpha you knew, the one you were _bonded_ to, and then be told it would a good idea to let another Alpha get their hands all over him?” 

“You are his therapist Alana, not me,” Hannibal replied swiftly, trying to maintain his composure. “I am not suggesting you send Will to touch therapy. You’re right, it would be traumatic for him to experience any sort of intimacy with another Alpha so soon after Jasper and Mason’s deaths. I am merely pointing out that some Omegas find touch therapy comforting and that it makes the grieving process less painful.” 

“I am not letting any Alpha gentle him or touch him,” Alana almost growled. 

Hannibal said nothing and instead focused on Will. He was breathing normally again now but his skin was still shining with sweat and a flush was started to spread across his cheeks and down onto his neck. 

“I am beginning to care for Will too Alana; I understand why you immediately felt the need to help him,” Hannibal sighed into the darkened bedroom. “I hope that you will not mind if I visit Will tomorrow to see how he is doing?” 

Alana’s form slowly softened, defeat gripping her. “Of course Hannibal. I’m sorry if I snapped before. I just find myself getting defensive over him, as unprofessional as that is. I just want what’s best for him.” 

“Our regard for him is mutual,” Hannibal added. “However, it would do us both well to remember that Will should decide what is best for himself. He is not a child incapable of making decisions and it’s not for us to decide for him and let our bias creep into his life. We are not here to control him.” 

“You’re right,” Alana agreed, then smiled softly. “As usual.” 

 

The next morning Will woke up to the sound of careful, gentle movements in his room. His eyelids peeled back to reveal his dimmed bedroom. Everything was blurred for a few moments, until his vision began to focus a little. He sat up, his body aching, and a hand blindly scrambled against the bedside table for his glasses. He nearly shrieked when a warm hand came into contact with his, offering him the glasses. Will ripped them away, shoving them on to his face to look up at Hannibal. 

Will blinked and said nothing. Hannibal went back to the small table the armchairs were positioned around. There were two small Tupperware containers sat on the table. Hannibal removed the lids, steam rolling out of the rounded plastic into the air, carrying a fragrant smell with it. 

“Smells delicious,” Will croaked, his voice scratchy and his throat raw and burning. 

“Silkie chicken in a broth,” Hannibal announced, setting a spoon into the container and carrying it over to Will. “Wolf berries, ginseng, jujubes, gogi berries and star anise.” 

Will observed the contents of the bowl and raised his eyebrows. “You made me chicken soup.” 

Hannibal paused for a moment, fixing Will with a look that he was pretty sure would have turned him to stone if possible. 

“Yes.”


	7. Seventh

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will ends up in hospital again and receives some bad news, Margot is suspicious and Hannibal has Will for dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise to reply to your comments in the next few days! <3 
> 
> Thank you once again for reading x

Will managed to get three spoonfuls of soup down his throat before he lurched from his bed and stumbled his way into the small ensuite bathroom. Hannibal didn’t even have the chance to stand up before the door was slammed behind him and the muted sound of Will’s dry heaving reached his ears. Inside the bathroom, Will collapsed to his knees and clutched the porcelain bowl he leant his head over. His eyes stung as he vomited into the toilet, his skin breaking out into a sweat. 

“Will?” 

Despite the hazy fog settling over his mind as he wretched into the toilet, Will felt a warm bundle of knots tighten in his chest at the sound of concern in Hannibal’s voice. 

“Go away,” Will shouted to the door, promptly emptying the next to nothing contents of his stomach. 

Hannibal winced at the sound of the Omega being sick, fighting to not swing the door open and comfort him. “May I come in Will?” 

“No,” Will snapped through the door. “I’m fine.” 

More heaving. 

“You do not sound fine William.” 

Will gripped the porcelain even tighter, trying to calm the dizziness swirling inside of him. He felt _awful_. “This is gross. I don’t want you to see.” 

Hannibal opened his mouth to reply but was interrupted by more hacking noises. “Will, I was a surgeon for many years before becoming a psychiatrist. Bodily functions do not faze me.” 

The toilet flushed and Hannibal heard water running. The door swung open and Hannibal came face to face with Will, remarking at how pleasing his height was, the top of Will’s artfully messy curls reaching Hannibal’s chin. The perfect height for the Omega to tuck his head underneath Hannibal’s chin and bury his face into his neck and – 

“I’d rather you had nothing to do with my _bodily functions_ , Dr. Lecter” Will muttered, attempting to imitate Hannibal’s sleek purring Lithuanian accent. 

Hannibal found it an amusing sound in combination with Will’s southern lilt. “Was my chicken soup that awful Will?” 

The Omega was sweating and his skin was pale, as if he’d been drained of blood. Hannibal could practically feel the heat radiating off of him in waves, knowing full well that if he placed a hand on the Omega’s forehead then he would be burning underneath his touch. He was most definitely feverish, his scent betraying the illness that was settling into him. 

“No,” Will mumbled, moving past him to fumble a hand past the drawn curtains to slam the open window closed. “It was the best thing I’ve eaten in years. Is it just me or is it _freezing_ in here?” 

Will crawled back into bed, a shudder passing through him as he rubbed eyes tiredly. Hannibal carefully approached the bed, eyes sweeping over Will. 

“How are you feeling Will?” 

“Cold,” Will replied, wrapping his arms around himself. 

“Just cold?” Hannibal asked dryly. “You are an awful patient Will. You’re clearly unwell.” 

“Just as well I’m not your patient then, isn’t it?” Will retorted, attempting to send a glare Hannibal’s way. “I just feel tired, that’s all.” 

“Do you remember last night at all Will?” Hannibal prompted him, frowning. 

“Last night?” Will repeated, blinking in confusion. “I...” 

“You suffered an episode,” Hannibal told him, his voice softening. “You had a rather severe panic attack last night and began hallucinating. You had to be sedated.” 

“I did _what_?” Will spluttered. “What the hell happened?” 

Hannibal knew he was possibly pushing Will’s boundaries, but he could not refrain from lowering himself to sit at the edge of the Omega’s bed in a rather desperate attempt to get closer to Will, which appalled him. Hannibal did not experience such pedestrian things such as _desperation_ , not for anyone. And yet here he was, revelling in the fact he sat on the bed Will lay in as if it was somehow the greatest feat in the world. He wanted to strip the duvet back and lay down with Will, but this was a completely ridiculous notion. 

“We were in the dining room and I brought up what was clearly a delicate topic for you,” Hannibal sighed. “I feel that I may owe you an apology. I fear the conversation pushed you into a panic and caused your episode.” 

“So the chicken soup was a complete act of guilt rather than true concern,” Will scoffed, teasing him lightly. “I don’t remember it Dr. Lecter. What sort of... hallucinations did it seem I was having?” 

“I believe you thought that Mason was attacking you,” Hannibal replied simply. “You repeated his name and kept telling him you were sorry. You were rather inconsolable and began pleading with him about ‘the baby’.” 

Will went quiet and rigid, staring at his shaking clammy hands before him on the sheets. “Oh.” 

“We were all concerned for you Will,” Hannibal continued. “Alana has been here all night to stay up and watch you. She left about an hour ago and went to get some sleep, but I imagine she will be wanting to talk to you later today.” 

“What did you ask me that made me lose it that badly?” Will forced himself to ask, the words sour in his mouth. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know. 

Will watched Hannibal hesitate. “Are you sure you want to know? I do not want to induce another state of panic in you Will.” 

“Tell me.” 

“I asked you if you fantasised about killing Mason.” 

Will went quiet again as he had done last night when Hannibal voiced the question, however this time he simply laced his hands together and stared at the small, simple urn that sat on his bedside table. Hannibal followed his gaze and wondered what Will’s son had looked like. Rather like all newborns, Hannibal presumed. Tiny and red and screaming. So violent. But would he have had Will’s curling dark locks? His deep ocean eyes and pomegranate lips? 

“Mason smothered my son to death,” Will stated simply, as if he was describing the colour of the walls or the state of the weather. “Because he couldn’t get him to stop crying.”

Will turned and met Hannibal’s gaze and Hannibal felt as if shards of ice were being shoved into his skin Will’s eyes were so _cold_ and dark. “Of course I thought about killing him.” 

The answer made Hannibal feel almost disorientated. “I suppose the world granted you a favour then when Mason died after killing your son.” 

“I wouldn’t call it a favour Dr. Lecter. A small act that attempted to come close to justice, but justice would never have been possible in that situation. There is nothing that can make Jasper’s death even remotely more bearable, not even Mason’s own death.”

“Still,” Hannibal pushed. “There is something to be said of the timing.” 

Will’s face remained blank and unreadable and Hannibal wanted to split his face open and climb into his head. He wanted to know what was passing behind those icy, dark eyes and what thoughts were bundling together in Will’s mind. He wanted to turn the boy inside out and possess the blood that ran through his veins. 

“I want to trust you Dr. Lecter,” Will murmured. “Can I?” 

Hannibal let his eyes linger on the pulse in Will’s throat and the bead of sweat trickling down his temple, the sheen that lay over his feverish skin and dampness clinging to curls. “I believe all strong friendships are based on trust Will. If we are to be friends I would like very much for us to trust each other.” 

Will hummed, a small smile hovering on his lips. “You’re being vague Dr. Lecter. Can I _trust_ you?” 

“Yes, Will.” 

Will titled his head to side, regarding the Alpha for a few moments but his eyes drifted to the crack of sunlight filtering into the room through the window between the slightly parted curtains. “I’m sorry you had to deal with my... episode last night. I’m guessing it wasn’t the most pleasant thing to witness.” 

“Merely an insight into Mason’s treatment of you Will, an insight I am grateful for in order to understand you better. Do not apologise.” 

“I don’t really get why you want any insight into _that_ ,” Will grumbled, his fingers twitching as his trembling hands slid into fists. One of the scabs cracked slightly from the pressure, the tiniest amount of blood oozing forth. 

Hannibal watched the droplet of red with fascination. For a moment he wanted Will to tighten his fists until all of those coarse scabs split open and Will’s hands would become dressed in crimson and wetness. He wondered what it would be like to taste rivulets of Will’s life force streaming down his finely boned arms, his tongue spreading his blood across his creamy, scarred arms. 

These thoughts of Will were becoming too frequent. He needed to cease this. 

“Insight into what you experienced with Mason? Will, Mason is the whole reason you are here. Of course I would want to know as much as I could about what your life was like with him.” 

“I don’t know what else to _say_ about it,” Will cried out in frustration, his hands coming up to grab fistfuls of his hair. “Everyone wants me to get into all the gory details of every little thing he did to me but I _can’t_.” 

“You can’t? Or you won’t?” 

“Stop it,” Will hissed, snapping his head towards Hannibal. His eyes were no longer cold and now seemed to blaze. “Stop doing that.” 

“Doing what Will?” Hannibal asked innocently, not shifting from where he sat on the bed. “I’m merely asking you questions. I want to help.”

Will blew out a tense breath and Hannibal amused himself at the thought of Will having to count to ten in his head to calm himself. “Don’t think I can’t see when someone is playing a game with me Dr. Lecter. I can see exactly what you’re doing and it’s not going to work.” 

“What I’m doing?” Hannibal laughed in fake disbelief. “Will, I’m doing as I have done since our first meeting. I’m simply trying to get you to connect with your past, trying to get you on the road to recovery.” 

“You’re _pushing_ me and I don’t appreciate you trying to control my head.” 

Will threw the duvet back, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. Hannibal’s hand immediately shot out to steady the boy when his legs buckled underneath him, his body unsteady. Will flinched and a soft whine sounded in the back of his throat at the Alpha’s touch, cool on his feverish skin. He backed away immediately, his legs still wobbling. Hannibal rose swiftly, noting how Will’s pale feverishness had escalated even more, his scent tinged with the smell of sickness. 

“Will, you are not well,” Hannibal soothed him softly, not attempting to reach for him again. “Please, get back into bed and I will fetch one of the nurses.” 

Will’s face twisted with confusion and he looked as if he was somewhere else. “I don’t feel right.” 

“I know,” Hannibal hushed him, stepping closer. “Come. Let’s get you back into bed.” 

“I don’t want to,” Will mumbled, backing away again. “The sheets hurt.” 

“Then you can lay on top of them,” Hannibal pointed out, another step towards Will. “I do not think you should be on your feet right now Will.” 

Will’s feet clumsily moved him further way from Hannibal. “I want... I want to be alone right now, Dr. Lecter.” 

“Will please,” Hannibal sighed, getting closer to Will once more in their slow dance. “I will go and find a nurse for you. You’re quite clearly feverish and need - ”

“I need you to get out,” Will cut him off, his voice weak despite his best attempts to sound serious. “I don’t need your help.” 

The cold wall hit Will’s back and with horror Will realised he’d backed himself up into the wall and there was no more room to put between himself and Dr. Lecter. The Alpha’s movements were minute and careful, but he was still getting closer. Will felt like he could vomit again, the sweat dripping down his neck. 

A slow hand cautiously outstretched to Will. “As endearing as your stubbornness is Will, I’m afraid I must insist you lay back down. You look like you’re about to collapse.” 

Will opened his mouth and it only took a few moments to realise he was actually collapsing, as Hannibal had said, a darkness grasping him and pulling him to the floor with arms that felt far too much like Mason’s. His eyes rolled back and he momentarily caught a glimpse of Hannibal’s worry riddled expression above him as he let go. 

 

“Nice to see you again Mr. Graham.” 

The voice was soft and familiar and Will opened his eyes to find himself back in a hospital bed, Nick’s pleasant presence hovering in the room with him. Will groaned. 

Alana and Hannibal were stood at the foot of the bed, watching him intently. Nick was flitting about, fussing over him, and checking his IV and the bleeping machines around him. 

“Fuck _sake_ ,” Will whined, scrunching his eyes shut. “Why am I here?”

“You collapsed and began fitting and vomiting whilst you were unconscious,” Nick informed him cheerfully. 

“This is ridiculous,” Will hissed, grappling at the needle sitting in the crook of his elbow in attempt to tear it out. 

“ _Will_ ,” Hannibal nearly snarled, freezing Will in place. “Stop it.” 

Will looked up at him startled and Alana shot him a look of disbelief. Nick cleared his throat, sensing the waves of irritation and disapproval rolling off of the Alpha. Hannibal ignored them both and kept his eyes trained on Will, refusing to relent his authoritative glare. Will’s eyes turned icy and his jaw tightened as he lent back against the bed, hand falling back to his side and leaving the needle alone. His gaze drilled into Hannibal’s, his eyes screaming betrayal at the Alpha for chastising him so, and it made Hannibal want to sink his teeth into the Omega’s neck and make him submit. 

These futile Alpha reactions were _exhausting_ , Hannibal decided. They had never been a problem for him before and he prided himself on his exquisite control over his biology and the Alpha instincts he inherently possessed. He had always been the epitome of calm and collected, controlled and cool, and now this frustratingly beautiful and marvellous and absurdly wilful Omega was unwinding the lose thread Hannibal had allowed to exist. He was fearful that soon the lose thread would reveal too much of him and it would be too late to do anything about his feelings for Will. 

“I, er, have some new for you Will,” Nick said eventually, breaking the stifling tension and silence in the room. “We ran some tests on you whilst you were sedated to see if we could find the reason for your collapse. Dr. Bloom tells me you had an episode last night too?” 

“Apparently so,” Will gritted out, tearing his glare away from Hannibal. 

“Well we got your results back about twenty minutes ago,” Nick continued, looking nervous. 

“What’s wrong with me?” Will begrudgingly asked, fiddling with the hospital gown. It itched his skin. 

“It’s your heat suppressants,” Nick told him sadly. “The reason you’ve started fitting and getting feverish and feeling unwell is the medication you’re on. You’re having an extreme allergic reaction to them and prolonged use will deteriorate your health even more. Reactions like yours usually result in permanent brain damage.”

Will was silent but then his lips twitched and he burst out laughing. “You have to be joking, right? How can I be allergic to heat suppressants for God’s sake?”

“It’s a rare occurrence,” Nick admitted. “There are only handfuls of reports of intolerances so severe to the medication. Unfortunately some Omegas are just not compatible with suppressants and the consequences of continuing to take them are life threatening. I’m sorry Will.” 

“I can’t...” Will trailed off, his eyes blinking hard. “What about other suppressants? There are other forms of it, aren’t there? Other pills I would be able to take?” 

Nick shook his head with a grim expression. “Scientists and pharmaceutical researchers have only ever been able to create one successful suppressant. They’re trying new medications all the time of course, but... it seems our biology is notoriously difficult to manage.” 

“There’s no other ways of stopping my heats?” Will asked desperately, his eyes frantic and pleading. 

“None that anyone has been able to come up,” Alana answered him carefully, her eyes sympathetic. “I’m so sorry Will.” 

“I am not going into heat again,” Will refused, shaking his head. “I won’t.”

“Will, your heats are something that you can manage,” Nick told him in an attempt to comfort him. “With the right environment you can experience them as stress free as possible and manage them.” 

“ _Stress free_?” Will spat, his teeth bared. “Do you have any idea what heats are like for me?!” 

“Will,” Alana pleaded softly, trying to placate the Omega. “We’ll figure this out, please don’t worry too much. I’ll help you, we can - ”

“Unless you can operate on me right now and get rid of my fucking insides and all the fucked chemicals in my brain and hormones then I don’t see how you can help me!” 

Alana lapsed into silence, clearly stung. Hannibal sent her what he hoped was a comforting glance but the Beta ignored him. Nick sighed and soothed a hand over Will’s hair in an attempt to calm him, but Will twisted his head away, his eyes brimming with tears as he began to tremble. Hannibal cut short the distressed rumble that was stirring in his chest, horrified at what the reaction meant as he kept his feet firmly planted on the floor to stop himself from going to Will and gentling him. 

“This is just great,” Will bit out, his voice bitter. “This is just typical; of _course_ I’m allergic to suppressants. I was an idiot for believing that I could just have this one thing, this one thing I got to choose - ”

“You still have choices Will,” Nick interrupted him, insisting. “This doesn’t have to be a bad thing, I promise you. There are plenty of ways of getting through yours heats.” 

“I don’t want to get through them!” Will exclaimed. “Why does no one understand this? I don’t _want_ to have heats, not ever again!” 

“We understand Will,” Hannibal assured him, his voice so rich and soothing it made Will feel like a cat being stroked, flexing with pleasure. “No one is saying you are being unreasonable in your reluctance to experience any more heats. It is _completely_ understandable.” 

“Is it?” Will laughed sarcastically, sinking back against the pillows in defeat. “I just wanted to take some control back. I just wanted this one thing. That was all.” 

“There’s still plenty of time until your next heat,” Nick reminded him. “It’s five months away.” 

“It could be five years away or five minutes away and it still wouldn’t be ok,” Will lamented, the tears swimming in his sockets. 

Hannibal was helpless to his cruel imagination. He thought of Will in heat and pictured him writhing on Hannibal’s silk sheets, smelling like _heaven_ and emitting the most delicious sounds. He pictured him biting down on Hannibal’s pillows and his fingers turning white they would grip so hard at the headboard whilst Hannibal feasted on him. He pictured pressing himself against Will’s back and taking him, gripping his hair and ripping his head back and lavishing the pale column of his neck with claiming bruises. And oh, how Will would _beg_. Hannibal could hear it now... _Hannibal, please! So good, oh God..._. 

It was a wonder Hannibal didn’t find himself sporting an erection as he snapped himself out of his day dream. 

 

Will returned to Port Haven the next morning after being kept in for observation overnight. The doctor and Nick had told him he would still experience bouts of fever and sickness for a week or so as the suppressants left his system and the nurses at Port Haven had been instructed to keep a close eye on him. Will had never felt more coddled and fussed over in his life and he detested it. He felt like a child, all the adults shushing him and pitying his fear and sharing knowing glances with each other. _Poor little Omega_. 

When Hannibal had left the hospital that night, Will had felt like the world was crumbling a little, cracks starting to appear in his reality. He wanted the Alpha to stay, even if he did find the man completely impossible most of the time. He couldn’t fight the impulsive need to keep Hannibal in his presence and it made his stomach bunch up into knots at the thought of Hannibal walking out and leaving to spend the night alone in his hospital room. He wanted to see the man in the same way as he saw Alana. He wanted to see him as a weary necessity, someone he would begrudgingly admit he liked but tolerated for the sake of his situation. Although, Alana was growing on him. He found that he did actually like being cared for so intensely as Alana did for him and the Beta was slowly forging herself a place in Will’s heart. Not that he would admit that to anyone; there were only so many walls he was willing to bring down. 

Hannibal, on the other hand, made Will absolutely distraught. The man dragged him from hot to cold in seconds, mentally flung him from one state to next and Will didn’t know if he was coming or going with him. One moment he was making Will want to purr and preen and slide himself against the older man’s body and the next he made Will want to put as much distance between himself and the Alpha as possible. Hannibal was dismantling him and it terrified him because he wanted _more_. He found himself wanting to let someone get closer for the very first time. 

Which was precisely why Will accepted Hannibal’s invitation to dinner in four days time. 

“Would you humour me and allow me to cook for you soon?” Hannibal asked when they were alone in the hospital room before Hannibal left. 

Nick had gone to tend to other patients and Alana had stepped outside to answer a phone call. 

“Cook for me?” 

“Yes. Unless you are adverse to the idea of dinner?” 

“You want to cook me _dinner_?” Will repeated, as if Hannibal had just asked him to sky dive into an erupting volcano. 

“Yes, Will,” Hannibal smiled. “Is the concept so strange? A friend inviting another friend to dinner?” 

“But I... I can leave Port Haven?” 

“I think the change of scenery would do you wonders. Slowly introducing you to different environments again is a vital part of your recovery. Confining you to Port Haven after spending three years locked in a room would be detrimental, in my opinion,” Hannibal assured him. “Alana will allow it, I assure you.” 

“You want me to have dinner? With you? In your house?” 

Hannibal nearly laughed. “Will, it’s quite alright if you do not wish to - ”

“No!” Will half shouted, sitting up. “No, I do. I’d like to. If you would want me to?” 

“Excellent,” Hannibal hummed, satisfied. “How does Saturday sound? I can come and collect you from Port Haven if you wish or see if Alana will drive you?” 

“Would you... would you come and get me?” Will asked, trying his hardest not to blush or stutter, his cheeks tingeing pink anyway. 

“Of course,” Hannibal agreed. “I look forwards to seeing you on Saturday then, Will.” 

“Yeah,” Will mumbled. “Saturday.” 

Hannibal did not push him any further, clearly noting the boy’s shyness and uncertainty, but allowed himself to visibly smirk and his eyes gleam with the small triumph. “Good night Will. I hope you sleep well.” 

 

“You’re going to his _house_?” Margot spluttered, gasping. 

The other Omega had strode into Port Haven no more than an hour after Will’s return from the hospital. Will cursed Alana for having Margot’s number and letting her know he’d been in hospital. 

“Yes,” Will sighed in exasperation. “For dinner. I don’t understand why you think it’s so scandalous Margot.” 

“It just seems a little personal,” Margot confessed, holding her hands up. “I know he’s not officially your therapist or anything but still...”

“The fact he’s not officially my anything is _why_ it’s not a big deal. It’s not like he’s down on record as my doctor or therapist. He thinks I need to start getting out into the world anyway.” 

“You must trust him a lot,” Margot said, her voice dripping with doubt and disapproval. “To go to his house alone.” 

“Margot, that is exactly the attitude I don’t need,” Will snapped at her. “I actually feel like there’s something happening here. I’m starting to... well, to feel again. I feel fucking awful a lot of the time, I won’t ignore that, but I actually find myself enjoying stuff again. It’s... nice.” 

“What does Alana think about it all?” Margot asked, pursing her lips. 

“She thinks it’s a good idea too. She agreed with Dr. Lecter that it would be good for me to get out of Port Haven for a few hours,” Will sniped back smugly. “Dr. Lecter isn’t some villain Margot, jeez. He’s just trying to help.” 

“And you never questioned why he’s trying to help? Why he gives up hours of his time to come here voluntarily, unpaid? Why he was so adamant he was never your _official_ therapist?” 

“That’s not fair Margot,” Will muttered, hurt. “Not everyone is interested in me just for sex! Are you hearing yourself? He doesn’t have some ulterior motive to get me into bed!”

“How would you know? The whole thing just reeks of creepy, narrow minded Alpha behaviour!” 

“Oh, and there’s nothing unorthodox about you and Dr. Bloom?” Will scoffed, rolling his eyes. “You’re going around trying to poke holes in my friendship with Dr. Lecter when you’re the one who’s gagging to fuck Alana!” 

“That is not true!” Margot spluttered. “Alana is - ”

“She’s what? Your _friend_?” Will mocked her. “Don’t shit all over my parade when you’re the one who has feelings for Dr. Bloom. Me and Hannibal are friends and that’s where our relationship ends. There’s nothing weird about it.” 

“He’s old enough to be your father Will! He’s what? Thirty years older than you? Don’t you think that’s a little bit weird that a forty seven year old man is inviting a seventeen year old boy around for _dinner_?” 

Will crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m not letting you ruin this for me. Hannibal has never been anything but polite to me and just because you despise Alphas and think they’re all untrustworthy, I’m beginning to trust Dr. Lecter. This is important to me Margot. I just want to be normal again.” 

“Will, I just don’t want you to get hurt again,” Margot admitted with a heavy sigh, grabbing his hand. “I care about you more than I’ve ever cared about anyone and I just want to make sure you’re ok. I know I’m shitty at showing it and I fuck things up – a _lot_ \- but something just doesn’t feel right about this.” 

“Think about it,” Will persisted. “Dr. Bloom can’t sing his praises enough. You trust her, right? Trust her judgement?” 

Margot slowly nodded. 

“And you trust me?” 

“Unfortunately,” Margot teased him. 

“Oh, shut up,” Will muttered, but grinned back at her. “If you’re that freaked out by it why don’t you meet him? See for yourself that there’s nothing strange going on?” 

“Maybe I will,” Margot said nonchalantly, inspecting her nails. “I think it would be quite interesting to meet Dr. Lecter. You and Alana never shut up about him after all.” 

“Jesus,” Will breathed, rolling his eyes. “I feel like you’re the angry older sibling stomping around trying to suss him out, on the verge of death threats.” 

“That’s because I am,” Margot joked, giving him a soft shove. “And you’re my bratty little brother.” 

“Fuck off,” Will grumbled, swatting back at her. “Aren’t you meant to be busy swooning over Dr. Bloom?” 

Margot just gave him a look. 

 

Saturday eventually rolled around after a few tedious days. He went to his group therapy sessions, started reading a new book, went to his sessions with Alana, popped his anti-depressants, helped one of the orderlies plant a new tree sapling in the garden and even had a conversation with the Omega from the room next to him. It was safe to say that Alana was astounded. 

“You seem to have come on leaps and bounds this week Will,” she beamed at him. “Has something changed?” 

“Probably just a blip in the system,” he said sarcastically. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s because I’m not taking my heat suppressants anymore.” 

“How are you feeling now you’ve stopped taking them?” Alana asked, pen poised above her notepad. 

“I’ve still felt a bit feverish some nights and but I haven’t been sick since yesterday. I guess it’s slowly working its way out of my system.” 

“That’s great news,” Alana announced, sounding pleased. “Hopefully another week or two and your physical health will get itself back on track. How has your appetite been?” 

“A little better,” Will replied, shrugging. “I’m still not sleeping great but that’s not anything new.” 

“Still having nightmares?” 

“They don’t even feel like nightmares. It feels like they’re real,” Will admitted. “I wake up and I can’t tell if _this_ is the dream. They’re too... vivid. 

“And they’re still the same nightmares? Still the same thing happening each time?” 

“Pretty much. Some nights they’re different but he’s always there. Waiting for me when I close my eyes.” 

Alana sat back and gave him a soft look. “Margot says a similar thing. She says she sees his face the minute she shuts her eyes too.” 

Will looked up at her. “We can’t really seem to get away from him.” 

“You will one day Will,” Alana soothed him. “It won’t always be like this, I promise.”

“I’ll believe it when I see it,” Will smiled sadly. 

 

Saturday night arrived and Will felt like he was going to have a heart attack he was so anxious. He was practically nauseous with nerves and decided that if he did in fact throw up in Hannibal’s presence, he would just have to blame it on the withdrawal symptoms of his heat suppressants. And his and Mason’s bond dissolving. And some weird post pregnancy hormones or something. Maybe all the sedatives people had been stabbing him with were making him feel weird. Anything but admitting that he was _nervous_ about his evening with Hannibal.  
It was incredibly difficult to not empty the contents of his stomach onto the carpet in the reception when he saw Hannibal stood waiting for him. 

He was dressed in one of his usual ridiculous suits, a pale grey chequered affair with a matching waist coat and a silk blue paisley tie. Will wondered if the man owned normal clothes. Like t-shirts or jeans. Clothes that weren’t imported from Italy or France that cost more than the meagre funding his father had left for him in his will. 

“Will,” Hannibal’s low timbre sounded, making his toes curl. “How are you?” 

“I’m fine, thanks,” Will mumbled, unable to look the Alpha in the eye. 

Hannibal allowed him to remain in his shell and avoid his eyes, for now. It would be different, of course, when they arrived at his home. 

They walked out to the parking lot and Will nearly laughed when Hannibal approached the monstrous Bentley. 

“This is ridiculous,” Will chuckled one they had settled into the vehicle. “Nobody needs a car like this.” 

“No, perhaps not,” Hannibal agreed. “But I’m sure you have noticed by now that I have quite particular tastes.” 

“Yes,” Will agreed dryly. “I have.” 

They spent the remainder of the drive talking about how Will had been since Hannibal saw him last. He told him about his therapy with Alana, planting the tree and the conversation with the Omega next door. He told him about Margot’s outrage at their friendship. 

“Margot thinks you’re up to something,” Will laughed. “She thinks you’re taking advantage of me.” 

“She has every right to be suspicious,” Hannibal replied. “Alana has told me that Miss Verger is quite protective of you. It is understandable she has little time for Alphas.” 

“Hmm,” Will agreed. “I know. I got a little frustrated with her. Told her that not everyone is interested in me just for sex.” 

“And how did she react to that?” 

“She pointed out that I couldn’t be sure you weren’t and that you were most likely abusing your position of power.” 

“I’m sorry to hear that Miss Verger thinks so little of me,” Hannibal sighed. 

“She wants to meet you. I think it would put her at ease and I could mention your name without her jumping down my throat and telling me that I’m being groomed,” Will told him, smiling sarcastically. 

“I would be honoured to meet her. She seems to be an integral part of your life, after all,” Hannibal mused. 

They pulled up in front of the large, elegant town house and Will admired it. Looking at the building, it made sense that Hannibal would own a home like this, but Will couldn’t help but imagine Hannibal probably owned some sort of sprawling estate with a full blown mansion somewhere in Europe. They exited the car and Hannibal lead him inside the house, intently watching the Omega move throughout his territory. Hannibal knew he had liked the thought of Will wandering through his home, his mere presence pleasing, but he found himself bristling with smugness at the fact he had the Omega all to himself in his house. 

Hannibal guided him through to the kitchen and turned to face him. “Care to be my sous chef?”

“I... ok,” Will agreed. “It’s on your head though if I fuck it up.”

Hannibal chuckled. “I promise I’ll take full responsibility.”

Will was amazed at how easy it was to slip into this reality. Standing by Hannibal’s side in his sleek, spotless kitchen, following his instructions as he diced vegetables and passed jars of seasoning and listened intently to Hannibal’s every word. It was the most pleasant distraction Will had ever had. 

“You’re not being particularly analytical tonight Dr. Lecter,” Will commented, peeling the skin away from a potato. 

Hannibal smirked. “Please Will, I would prefer it that you call me Hannibal. And I am not interested in trying to dissect any sort of trauma tonight. I merely want to learn more about you.” 

“Alright, _Hannibal_ ,” Will responded, testing his name on his tongue. “What is it that you want to know?” 

“Everything,” Hannibal confessed, letting his guard slip for the briefest moment. “But perhaps tell me about your life in Louisiana. You have never spoken of it before.” 

“It was pretty normal,” Will said, a soft, fond smile stretching across his lips, one he did not realise he was producing. “It was just me and my dad. I was born in the trailer that we lived in and my mother took off after a few weeks. She left her jumbo pot. Me and dad liked making jumbo.” 

Hannibal simply looked at Will then, and found himself amazed once again by the Omega. “Your mother left?” 

“Yep,” Will replied, his lips popping around the ‘p’. “I never met her. Don’t know who she is, where she went or if she’s even still alive. It doesn’t really matter though, I’ve never known any different. Can’t miss what you never had, right?” 

“It must have been difficult for you though,” Hannibal pointed out, delicately inserting buds of rosemary into the rack of ‘lamb’. 

“It wasn’t,” Will told him, shrugging. “They were both Betas. My dad was everything I needed, I never felt like I was every missing out on anything. I was lucky to have him.” 

Hannibal almost smiled at the thought of a younger Will, perhaps only a year or two old, finding his feet as he learnt to walk and navigate his way around a creaky little trailer surrounded by muggy swamps. 

“It’s not really that interesting,” Will continued. “I did everything you’d expect a kid to do. I went to school, went on fishing trips with my dad... there’s not much to say.” 

“Did you enjoy school?” Hannibal queried, his fingers sprinkling pinches of shiny rocks of sea salt over the meat. “I imagine your education is something you wish to continue to pursue at some point?” 

“I didn’t mind it. It was pretty boring I guess, there wasn’t much that interested me about it. I was always going to stay, finish high school and all that. I wanted to go to college. Get a degree.” 

“Wanted? Do you not wish to do so anymore?” 

“I don’t think I can,” Will admitted. “I don’t really think it would work. I never even started high school. What sort of college would even look at my application?” 

“There are plenty of online courses you can take and night schools you can attend,” Hannibal suggested thoughtfully. “You are intelligent Will. You would be ready to apply for college in no time.” 

“I don’t really have the motivation for that right now,” Will sighed, knife slicing through potato like butter. “I’ve just about managed to get myself used to going to group therapy, never mind night school.” 

“Not yet then,” Hannibal conceded. “But it is most definitely worth considering Will. You would excel.” 

“You sound pretty sure of that,” Will grinned as he pushed the potatoes from the chopping board into the boiling pot of water with his knife. 

“I find I’m right about most things.” 

Will just rolled his eyes and grinned at the comment. Hannibal finished preparing the lamb and carefully slotted it into the oven. He watched the Alpha fish out a bottle of wine from a rack and pull himself a wine glass from a cupboard. He poured himself a glass, the brilliant purple, ruby wine curling around the insides of the glass. Will observed the bottle after Hannibal set it down, moving forwards and running a finger over the bottle neck carefully, fully aware that this wine cost Hannibal a small fortune. 

“You’re so fancy,” Will teased him, grinning. “This wine looks like it cost as much as house.” 

“It is one of my favourites,” Hannibal informed him, studying Will’s fingertips trailing over the glass. “I find it perfectly complements the meal we are about to have. Have you ever drank before, Will?” 

He shook his head, curls bouncing slightly. “No. My dad liked whiskey though. Used to sit and drink it every night whilst he listened to the radio. I never saw Mason drink but I used to smell it on him quite a lot. Vodka martinis, the arrogant prick. Margot told me he used to make her catch some of her tears when he made her cry and collect them to put in his drink.” 

“Did he ever make you do such a thing?” Hannibal asked, a strain of disgust seeping into his tone. 

“He was too busy hurting me to think about that I suppose. When it came to me it seemed like he liked to get drunk off of watching me hurt.” 

“Sadism can be an ugly thing,” Hannibal remarked. “The prolonged exposure to such behaviour is enough to break some people.”

“Sometimes I feel like it broke me,” Will told him, feeling and sounding so very small. 

“And the rest of time?” 

“The rest of the time I feel like it made me.” 

Will wanted so badly to reach out to Hannibal, to feel his arms snake around his waist and clasp him close to his body. He wanted those large, skilled hands with their deft slim fingers to slide up the back of his neck and rub over the scar Mason’s jaws had left. He wanted Hannibal to cradle the back of his head and tip it back, pierce him with his gaze and sweep his lips across his forehead and his eyelids and his cheeks. Over the bridge of his nose and along his jaw, scrape his teeth over his chin and meet his lips with his own. He wanted to bunch his hands up in Hannibal’s suit jacket and fuse their mouths together and feel the warmth of his body seeping into him. 

“You are strong Will,” Hannibal told him, stepping a little closer. “The experience has no doubt shaped you but your strength does not come solely from the scars Mason Verger left you with. You had such bravery to begin with to even live through it in the first place.” 

“Sometimes I imagine other people going through it,” Will told him, nostrils flaring at the deep spices swimming in the Alpha’s scent. “Other people experiencing the things he did to me. I imagine most of them breaking. But I can’t even begin to imagine you in that room. I can’t imagine you being stripped and thrown to floor and having your bones broken. I can’t imagine your skin being soft enough to break and for your blood to stain the floor boards.” 

“No?” Hannibal quizzed him, sidling even closer to him, relishing in the waves of sweetness rolling off Will. “What do you imagine instead?” 

“I imagine you taking Mason apart with your bare hands the moment he opened the door. I imagine you breaking his neck and tearing him limb from limb,” Will confessed breathily, his eyelids heavy in his head as he began to feel almost dizzy with the proximity of Hannibal. “I imagine you make sure _he_ is the one whose blood stains the floorboards and you don’t even blink as you break him.” 

Hannibal found himself leaning down, closer to Will’s face, closer and closer and closer – 

The timer beeped on the oven, breaking their hazy moment. Hannibal blinked and slowly pulled back, the sight of Will’s dilated pupils and flushed cheeks making him want to throw the boy on to the counter and ravish him. Will was very still, and breathing a little too hard and Hannibal could smell the sweet tang of slick coming from him. It was beautiful. 

“It appears dinner is ready,” Hannibal murmured, his voice low and raspy. 

 

Will was dying for Hannibal to slip back into that state again as they ate. He wanted to whisper sweet, seductive tales to Hannibal and watch the Alpha’s expression cloud with want and for his scent to betray him with the smells of attraction and lust. He wanted to crawl underneath Hannibal’s ludicrously fancy dinner table and settle himself between the doctor’s legs and rub his cheeks against his solid, toned thighs. He found himself wanting the Alpha to lay him out on the table and claim him, take him apart and mark every inch of his skin with his scent and his teeth.  
He wanted him to replace Mason’s hold on him with his own. Will still sometimes smelt his mate, his bitter musk clinging to Will’s skin like grease and invading his senses. 

“Is it normal to still feel like you can smell your mate after they’ve died?” Will outright asked Hannibal.  
Hannibal, paused, looking up from cutting a section of meat up. “It’s quite common, yes. Many who have lost their mates claim they still experience their scent after their death.” 

“How come you’ve never bonded with anyone?” Will asked him carefully, fully aware of how he was letting his fork slide ever so slowly from his mouth, his lips wrapped tightly around the shining utensil. 

Will swore he saw Hannibal’s jaw twitch. 

“I spent the majority of my youth focused on travelling and establishing my career. By the time I settled into a permanent work place in the States I found myself too preoccupied with work. Therapy does allow me more time to have a life outside of my work, but the thought of bonding is one that rarely crossed my mind.” 

“Was there never anyone you met you thought you wanted to be with?” 

“Not particularly. I have experienced some meaningful relationships in my past, but none I deemed substantial enough to warrant bonding.”

“The more you talk the more you make yourself seem impossible to please,” Will smirked, keeping his gaze on his dinner. “Was no one ever good enough for you?” 

“I am not impossible to please Will,” Hannibal corrected him, his voice swimming with something lovely and dark. “Particular, perhaps, but not impossible. And bonding was something I never took lightly; I never truly found the right person.” 

“And what about in the future? What if you met the right person then?” 

_Dearest Will, you certainly are pushing limits this evening_ , Hannibal internally grinned to himself. 

“I cannot see into the future, Will, so I cannot give an answer to that. However it is not something I am against, at all. I believe that should I bond with someone in the future it would be one of the most important things in my life.” 

“It’s the most consuming experience,” Will returned, his gaze falling on Hannibal’s smouldering amber eyes. 

_If only it had been you Hannibal,_ Will thought despondently. _If only it could be me in your future._

 

The drive home was filled with pleasant talk of Hannibal’s love for opera and collecting art. He told Will of Florence and Paris and his favourite cathedrals and galleries. He told Will about his favourite French and Italian dishes, his favourite regional wines and the opera houses he visited. Boat trips to Capri and Sicily and vineyards in the rolling hills of the French countryside. Mediterranean summer night heat and the croaking of cicadas. French coffee shops lit up with glowing lights in the evenings and hazy, soft music spilling onto Florentine streets from busy little restaurants.  
It made Will yearn for these places he had never been, and for Hannibal to show him it all. 

“Thank you for such an enjoyable evening Will,” Hannibal uttered softly into the air of the car as he parked outside of Port Haven. “I would be thrilled if you would indulge me in having you as my guest again.” 

“I’d like that,” Will responded, giving him a sweet, crooked smile. “I’d like that a lot.” 

“Then you had better keep yourself on Alana’s good side. I would hate for her to deny you an evening of dining with me again,” Hannibal smirked. 

“Don’t worry about that,” Will grinned. “I’ve got her wrapped around my little finger.” 

_Dark, beautiful boy_ , Hannibal’s inner voice crooned. 

“Goodnight Will,” Hannibal said, his voice warm and like silk in his ears. “I hope you sleep well.” 

“Goodnight Hannibal,” Will returned with another shy smile. 

Hannibal watched him climb out of his car and walk through Port Haven’s entrance doors, relishing the gentle smile he offered to Hannibal in a final goodbye before he disappeared into the building. 

That night Will did not dream. He did not see Mason’s face leering up at him and feel his hands on him or hear his voice or smell his scent. He did not cry in his sleep or wake up gasping for breath to find himself virtually swimming in his own sweat.  
He simply slept.


	8. Eighth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hannibal accompanies Will back home to say goodbye.

Alana felt as though she had planted a seed and was finally getting to watch tiny green shoots slowly unfurl into the stem of some mystery flower. She felt as though she’d watered this seed and fed the soil countless different amounts of nutrition, growth supplements, _everything_. She’d done all this, and still there had been no growth or sign of life from the soil. Until Hannibal had come along and tended to the situation. Alana wanted to be annoyed at the other doctor for swooping in and doing her job better than her, but watching Will slowly get better a little bit as each week went by was too pleasing to be annoyed at Hannibal. Yes, she wished it had been her. She wished that she had been the one to grasp her hands around Will’s bony wrists and drag him from the cliff edge and back onto solid ground. She’d wanted to help Will the moment Jack had called her and told her they’d found him after all these years; she’d been following Will’s missing person case from the beginning. Always found her heart twinging every time the news reports mentioned his name, that there had been another false sighting, another dead end and useless lead. The day she’d walked into the hospital room with Jack and had seen the Omega curled up amidst a nest of tubes and wires and humming monitors, she knew that she needed to help Will. 

She’d thought that Will would need her to. Thought that they would need each other. It turned out that what Will needed was not Alana’s soft, warm words or her sympathetic expressions or her encouraging ‘baby steps’ approach. It turned out that Will needed sharp, clever words and cheekbones and to be picked up and hurled into the deep end and told to swim or drown. Will was proving to her that he was stronger than she had thought. She’d underestimated him. 

Will had started smiling earnestly in their therapy sessions. He was doing it right now, offering Alana an honest little smile as he jogged his leg up and down sporadically, clearly nervous but in high spirits. 

“I wanted to ask you something,” Will announced, still smiling. “I need your help with something.” 

It flooded Alana’s heart with warmth to know Will _needed her for something_. “Of course Will. You know I’m always here to help you out.” 

“I told you that I wanted to scatter Jasper’s ashes in Louisiana,” Will began. “I uh... I’ve never used a computer before so I thought that maybe you could help me? I need to buy plane tickets and -”

“Will,” Alana gently stopped him. “I would more be than happy to help you with that, but this is a big step. You haven’t brought it up with me since you mentioned it the very first time. It’s only been three months since you lost Jasper. Are you sure you want to do this?”

“I’m sure,” Will replied immediately. “I just _know_ that it’s going to start getting easier the minute I take him there and let him go. He doesn’t belong here Alana. He doesn’t belong in a psychiatric facility for Omegas on my bedside table. I want him out of Baltimore, out of Maryland. I’m ready to take him to Louisiana.”

Alana regarded him for a moment, taking in the determined set of his jaw and the fierce spark in his eyes, unwavering. 

“If you aren’t going to help me I’ll find another way.”

“I have no doubt of that Will,” Alana smiled sadly. “I’ll help you, of course. But I want to suggest that you take a few days to consider this and think about it a little more.” 

“I have been thinking about it though,” Will persisted. “I’ve been thinking about it for weeks, months. Since I got here. I’ve spoken to Hannibal about it too. I just never thought to bring it up again with you.” 

It hurt, Alana observed, to know the Omega had been opening up so readily to Hannibal about his wants and wishes and his trauma whilst he fed her scraps of nightmares, blunt recollections of fractured bones and bloodied bathroom tiles that bore his miscarriages. She had to remind herself Will’s mind was not hers to force. He’d tell her more of his days at Muskrat Farm one day. One day he would be honest with her, but that day was not approaching any time soon and doing anything other than helping him get to Louisiana was only going to push that day further away from her. 

“I’m guessing you want to go as soon as possible,” Alana sighed, flicking her gaze to the computer on her desk as she brought up a new web page. 

“Yes.”

“I will have to organise for one of the nurses and orderlies to go with you. I have too many patients to see here that need me Will.”

“Or you could... you could ask Hannibal,” Will suggested sheepishly, refusing to meet her eyes. “He could take me.” 

“Dr. Lecter is an extremely busy man Will, I’m not sure he could just drop everything -”

“I already asked him,” Will blurted out. 

_Of course you did_ , Alana thought to herself dryly. “Alright then. I’m assuming he said he would go with you?” 

Will nodded gingerly. “Yes. He said he could reschedule his appointments with his other patients. I hope it’s ok?” 

“If Hannibal has told you he can make the time to go I see no reason why not. It’s very kind of him to agree.”

“I don’t know who else I would want to come with me,” Will admitted, briefly meeting her eyes. “I want to go by myself. I want to do this alone. But I know you can’t legally let a psychiatric patient wander about on their own, so... Hannibal is the only person I think I can bear being there. Margot would be too much, too intense and I don’t want you to have to drop everything just to take me, it’s not worth your time.” 

“But it’s worth Hannibal’s time?” Alana couldn’t help herself from asking. 

Will’s eyes began to turn cold again. Alana cursed herself. “I said I wanted to go alone Alana, but I can’t. And you just told me you can’t leave your patients anyway.”

“Alright Will,” Alana gave in. “Pull your chair up, we’ll look at flights.” 

 

Hannibal had given Will his number a week ago, and Will had not seen him since. He had a busy week of patients and was hosting a dinner party. It had crumpled something inside of Will to know he wouldn’t be seeing the doctor, but the fact he had deigned to give Will his number made it slightly less disappointing. He hadn’t rang him or text him once and Hannibal had not contacted him either.  
Will sat on his bed as he turned the cell around in his fingers. The only person he ever contacted was his father’s solicitor and Margot, and she’d been the one to buy him the cell in the first place. 

With a trembling finger, he punched Hannibal’s number. 

He picked up on the third ring. 

“Hello Will.” 

He voice was like butter, melting into Will’s ears and making him shiver. 

“Hey,” Will managed, scrunching his eyes shut. “Are you busy?” 

“No, I am currently on my lunch hour. Is everything all right Will?” 

“I’m going to Louisiana next week,” Will announced, biting the bullet. “Next Wednesday. Will you still come?” 

There was a pause. “You’ve booked tickets for the flights?” 

“Alana helped me do it this morning. Used the money my dad left me. Will you come?” 

“Will, I told you that I would purchase the tickets when you felt re - ”

“Hannibal,” Will insisted, his voice verging on a whine. “I need to hear you say yes or no.” 

“You already know my answer Will,” Hannibal told him softly. “But yes. I promised you I would come with you if that was what you wanted. My promise stills stands.” 

“Thank you,” Will breathed out in a sigh of relief, slouching back onto his bed. “It’ll only be for the day and then the flights back are the next morning. Alana offered to find us a hotel but I told her you’d rather choose something.” 

“I fear you’re beginning to know me too well Will. I’m becoming predictable,” Hannibal chuckled. “But I appreciate the sentiment. I will find something tonight and book it.” 

“Great,” Will replied, his voice trembling slightly. “Thank you Hannibal.” 

“You do not need to thank me Will. I’ll have Alana send me the flight details. I’ll see you next Wednesday.” 

“Bye Hannibal,” Will murmured before he hung up. 

Will wondered whether Louisiana was still the same, or whether it had somehow changed. Whether the swamps still sang with creaking, shady trees and chirping insects and splashing gators. Whether the streets still smelt of crayfish restaurants and warm concrete and musky river water. 

He was sure it did, but still. Going home was going to be bizarre. 

 

“I want you to call me the minute you land,” Alana instructed him, giving him a I’m-not-taking-any-of-your-shit-today-Will-Graham look. “Straight away.”

“I promise Alana,” Will sighed, giving her a soft smile. “The minute I get there.” 

Alana’s fretful, motherly attitude towards him never failed to amuse him. Her lips were pursed and she was giving Hannibal a warning look. Hannibal gazed back demurely, the picture of smooth, unfazed calmness. 

“I hope you find what you need Will,” Alana gently told him, grasping his hand in hers briefly. She was yet to get Will to be comfortable with an actual embrace. “I’ll be there to pick you and Hannibal up from the airport tomorrow.” 

“Thank you,” Will replied earnestly. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” 

Alana nodded and watched as the Omega shuffled into the waiting cab, clutching his duffel bag to his chest. Alana shared a look with Hannibal before he got into the car, one that Hannibal was unused to seeing from her. 

“I’ll look after him Alana, don’t worry,” Hannibal assured her, opening the door to the cab. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” 

Alana gave them a small wave as the cab pulled away from Port Haven, twisting her hands together nervously after the car disappeared from sight. She had been unsure about all of this the minute Will had asked her to book the flights, but she had learnt quite quickly that when Will had decided something, it was final. It was only one night after all, and Hannibal would make sure Will didn’t take a bad turn. The Omega was quite clearly comfortable with Hannibal, more comfortable than she’d seen him with anyone else and she could sense the depths of trust Will was forming to the Alpha. 

She just hoped that Will’s return to his home wouldn’t be too painful. 

 

Hannibal watched in amusement as Will kept close to his side as they headed towards their gate. His eyes never stopped flickering around him, constantly twitching his head at every movement. 

“Are you feeling nervous Will?” Hannibal murmured. 

“Kind of,” Will admitted. “I’ve never been in an airport before or flown.” 

“It will be over before you know it,” Hannibal assured him, handing their boarding passes to the Beta checking passes at the gate. “It’s a fairly short flight, about two and a half hours. You can sleep if you want.” 

“I think I’d rather stay awake,” Will replied, his mouth twisting as he shoved his glasses up his nose. “I want to see the clouds.” 

Will’s unpredictable moments of heart warming innocence reminded him of how young the Omega really was. Hannibal found himself wanting to purr at Will’s wide eyed brilliance more often than he was comfortable with. He had never thought that he would have become this soppy _mess_ after meeting Will, and yet here he was, behaving like some sort of love sick Alpha who pined and gushed over Omegas that merely had to breathe to get attention. It was comparable to those disgustingly sickly sweet romance movies that were always popping up in cinemas and on TV. 

The pair boarded the plane after a short wait and Will sat frozen like statue the whole time, gripping the arms of his seat in a vice like grip, his hands glaring white from the pressure. Hannibal wasn’t sure if he was really even breathing he was so still, his eyes locked on the view out of the window. Perhaps he should have slipped Will some sort of sedative to knock him out for the duration of their flight. He did prefer Will awake and conscious however; it was far more interesting. But then again, the Omega had still managed to fascinate him in his sleep too. He had only ever seen Will asleep once before, when he had visited him after his panic attack the second time Hannibal had ever met him. He’d found Alana barely awake, slumped in an armchair by Will’s bed, head in her hands. He’d told her he would watch him, that she should go and sleep. He’d spent nearly thirty minutes simply watching the Omega as he slept. It was the only time Hannibal had ever seen Will without all of his walls up, unprotected by his conscious mind. He’d twitched in his sleep, frowned and sighed. He had gone rigid at one point, and Hannibal wondered what Mason was doing to him in his dream. Will had shuddered, let out a small whimper and then relaxed before rolling onto his side to face Hannibal and curling into the foetal position. The whole thing had been captivating and the image of Will’s sleep-soft face was burned into his retinas. 

The plane took off and Will found himself gasping in horror at the sensation, his hand nearest to Hannibal flying out and seizing Hannibal’s wrist. He squeezed so hard Hannibal thought he may actually fracture the joint, but let Will grasp onto him. 

“It’s alright Will,” Hannibal soothed him, slowly peeling his fingers away from his wrist as the plane levelled out in the sky as it ascended through the air. “See? It’s all ok, we’re up in the air.” 

Will’s chest slowly deflated, stiffly turning his head to look at him. “Is it supposed to do that? Does that always happen?” 

“Yes Will,” Hannibal smiled softly, letting his own hand linger a little too long on Will’s clawed fingers. “Every time.” 

“Ok,” Will mumbled, slowly withdrawing his hand back to grip the chair’s arm. “Ok, that’s good. Ok.” 

Will spent the rest of the flight jigging his leg up and down, tapping his fingers against his thigh, bracing himself to look out the window for all of three seconds before becoming overwhelmed and throwing himself back in the seat and clinging to the chair for dear life. Perhaps Hannibal _should_ sedate him when they flew back tomorrow. 

Two hours and thirty one minutes later, the pair landed in Lafayette Regional Airport, with Will looking like he’d died and been forcibly brought back to life. He decided he hated flying with a passion. Human beings were not meant to be up in the air like that in Will’s opinion. 

When they stepped outside of the airport, Will inhaled as deeply as he possibly could, desperately filling his lungs with air that smelt and felt like _home_. He felt his shoulders ease immediately, felt a wave of relief pass over him that had been waiting to sweep through his body for nearly four years now. Hannibal watched him do all of this in the corner of his eye as he tracked down a cab. Will looked lost in thought as they stepped inside the vehicle and Hannibal wanted to speak, wanted to pry into his thoughts but Will looked so intently focused on whatever was going on in his head that Hannibal wasn’t sure he would have heard him anyway. 

He did, however, nudge the Omega and remind him to call Alana. 

He had booked the DoubleTree for their short stay, the Hilton hotel being the only accommodation he found acceptable in Lafayette. Will would no doubt roll his eyes and scoff and tell Hannibal he was a pretentious snob but Hannibal would not care; he almost looked forwards the Omega’s inevitable teasing. Will would probably be satisfied with sleeping on a bus stop bench if allowed to. 

As predicted, the boy gave Hannibal a surly look when they arrived and got out of the cab, Hannibal paying the driver swiftly. 

“Really? A fucking Hilton hotel?” Will ridiculed him. “You are the most ridiculous, snooty - ”

“It’s only for a night Will,” Hannibal reminded him as he gawped at the reception foyer. 

“Which is exactly why it’s so - ”

“Shush,” Hannibal light heartedly scolded him. “I won’t hear another word.” 

Will glowered at him. He maintained his silence as Hannibal checked them in, collected the key cards, rode the elevator up to their floor and came to a stop outside of their rooms. He handed the room key to Will with a raised eyebrow. 

He snatched it from him. “You booked _two_ rooms?” 

“Yes,” Hannibal replied, as if it was obvious. “You sound surprised?” 

“Who has the fucking money to book out two stupid hotel rooms just for a single night?” Will grumbled, more to himself than Hannibal. “Oh no, wait. Hannibal Lecter does, how silly of me.” 

“You are impossible Will Graham,” Hannibal remarked, slotting his card into the door and opening it. “The rooms are connected so come through when you are ready to go and I will ask someone at reception to call us a cab.” 

“Sure,” Will sighed, copying Hannibal and sliding the card into his door and vanishing, the door closing with a loud thud behind him. 

Hannibal waited for ten minutes until the door conjoining the rooms gingerly creaked open and Will’s head appeared from around it. “I’m ready.” 

Hannibal looked up from the map on his phone he was inspecting and nodded. “You want to visit your old home first, yes? I will need the address.” 

Will just jerked his head in what Hannibal presumed was agreement and they headed back down to the reception. The cab arrived a few minutes later and Hannibal did not comment on Will’s silence as they got into their third cab of the day, clutching the small bag to his chest that contained Jasper’s urn. 

“How are you feeling Will?” 

“Wonderful,” he returned with a sarcastic eye roll. 

“You do not have to use sarcasm as a defence mechanism around me. I hope that you know you can trust me and be open with me,” Hannibal commented firmly. “Or was I wrong in assuming our relationship had developed past you using rudimentary defensive responses around me?” 

Will turned to look at him with hardened eyes. “This is difficult for me Hannibal.”

“I know it is,” Hannibal agreed. “Which is why I was hoping you would be more honest with me. That’s why I’m here, after all. To support you.” 

“I’m trying,” Will replied weakly, looking out of the window and gripping the bag even tighter to his chest. “I’m sorry.” 

“It’s quite alright Will.” 

They spent the rest of the cab ride in silence, the drive taking them about half an hour. 

Cecilia was practically a ghost town in comparison to Baltimore. They drove through the town barely passing a single soul on the street, sometimes going nearly a full mile until another house or store crept up. It must have been such a simple existence to have grown up here, Hannibal thought to himself. When the cab pulled up outside of the entrance to the trailer park, the driver craned his neck and looked around at the odd duo sat in his back seat. 

“You sure this is the right place?” he asked, his accent even thicker than Will’s. 

Will gave the man a warm look, smiling a little. “Ouais, c’est bon.” 

The driver grinned back as Hannibal paid him and they got out of the car. 

“Soignez vous-autres!” the driver called out the window to them before driving away. 

Hannibal stared at Will. “I wasn’t aware you spoke Cajun.” 

He shrugged, staring ahead down the dusty dirt track that led to the park. “We all do around here.”

“You’ll have to forgive my lack of knowledge about your town’s demographics. The extent of the knowledge I have stops at the fact I know there are regions of Louisiana that speak Cajun French.” 

Will grinned at him. “Yeah, and I bet it makes your skin _crawl_. The fact it’s all broken and mixed up with different languages and it isn’t the grammatically perfect version you probably speak.” 

“Not when it comes from your mouth, Will,” Hannibal corrected him. “I find it fascinating.” 

Will shifted uncomfortably, looking back down the track. “You wanna get going?” 

“Lead the way,” Hannibal murmured, gesturing for Will to go ahead. 

They walked down the track in hazy heat, only their breathing and the chorus of crickets and cicadas audible. 

“I’m nervous for you to see it,” Will voiced into the thick warmth around them suddenly. “This is the last place I could ever picture someone like you. You’re too good for all this.” 

“Will, if you think I am going to judge you - ”

“Please don’t,” Will cut him off. “Please just... don’t say anything. I don’t think I can listen to you be so calm and polite about this.”

“Would you prefer me to not speak until we get back to the hotel?” Hannibal asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“No, I just... I don’t want to hear you say anything about how you don’t care how shitty this place is or how you could care less about the fact I come from dirt. I don’t want your sympathy.” 

“If that’s what you wish for,” Hannibal offered. “Although I do think it would be beneficial for us to talk a little, at least.”

Will just nodded and kept walking, his feet carrying him without even thinking about it. He could have walked through the damned park with his eyes closed, knowing every groove and dip in the dirt tracks beneath his feet, every rock and patch of bushes and crop of yellowing, dried out grass. The trailers still looked exactly the same, rusting metal tins bearing peeled paint and fractured wind chimes and dripping pipes and creaking porches. It was utterly bizarre to see Hannibal here in all his elegant glory, sticking out like the world’s biggest sore thumb. Tailored suits and eloquent vocabulary and graceful poises did not belong here. 

They approached Will’s trailer and his heart constricted in his chest. It was just as he remembered it. The brittle wood of their tiny porch with the ancient rocking chair that shrieked as if it was going to fall apart from the slightest contact. The grubby, rain streaked windows and shredded screen door and the rust bucket mail box that Will had painted bright green when he was seven years old, ‘Eloi and Will Graham’ painted in wobbly black paint on the side. There was still a baseball sitting snugly in their gutter, the one Will had managed to get lodged in there when he was younger and had insisted his father spend all morning playing with him. They’d never bothered to fish it out. Their boat was still tucked away at the side of the trailer, the moss covered sheet covering it greying in colour and sporting patches of mould. Their fishing lures still hung like dream catchers above the front door, slowly rotating on their threads. 

“Will? Do you want to go in?” 

Hannibal’s voice tore him from his dazing state, realising he’d been stood outside the trailer simply staring for nearly ten minutes. 

He took a deep breath and gripped the bag at his side a little tighter before he jammed his hand in his pocket and pulled out the keys with a fumbling hand. His dad’s solicitor had sent him the keys to the trailer in the mail a month ago. He cautiously climbed the three rickety steps up onto their porch, chewing the insides of his mouth to pieces. He pried the screen door open and slotted the keys into the main door lock, twisting. It swung open with a familiar groan. 

The inside of the trailer seemed so small to Hannibal. It consisted of a small living area containing a beat up orange sofa and a slouching old armchair, a little coffee table resting between the two pieces of furniture. There was a shelf of books along the wall in front of him, all worn out paperbacks. To the right of him was a tiny kitchenette, featuring an oven, a tiny fridge, a gas cooker and a microwave. There were a few cramped cupboards and the fridge bore crumpled notes of paper pinned on with magnets and fading Polaroid photographs. Photos of a younger Will sat in a creaky old boat cradling a fish the size of his torso, grinning a triumphant, gap toothed smile, photos of him as tiny infant swaddled in blankets in a Moses basket, Christmas morning in his pyjamas as he sat beside a sparsely decorated Christmas tree. Will sat on their front porch as the sun tinged the sky purple and orange as it set whilst Will puffed his cheeks to blow out the candles on a birthday cake. Will with haphazard black marker lines all over his cheeks in an attempt to apparently copy his father’s beard. Will, a little older, maybe twelve, sat with his father on the steps of their porch with his hands buried in the scruff of a stray dog. 

Eloi Graham looked a lot like Will. They had the same bone structure, same smile and same body type, one that Will would eventually fill out into. Eloi’s face sported constant week old stubble in all the photos, sandy blonde like the hair on his head, and deep crinkled lines on his face from years of sun and outdoor work. His eyes were a soft hazel from what Hannibal could make out, leading him to believe Will must have inherited his creamy skin, dark curls and ocean eyes from his mother. 

Will caught Hannibal staring at the photos as they simply stood in the tiny kitchenette area of the trailer, giving him an expectant look. 

Hannibal opened his mouth to speak, but Will stopped him before a noise could leave his mouth. 

“If you’re going to ask me how I’m feeling, don’t” Will warned him. 

“I wasn’t.” 

“What were you going to say?” 

“Those Rugrats pyjamas are rather becoming on you.” 

“You complete _ass_ ,” Will hissed at him but grinning broadly. “I was eight years old.”

Before Hannibal could say another word, Will turned and wandered further into the trailer. There was a door ajar on his left, revealing a strip of shower curtain and sink. They came to two more doors,  
Will glancing at the one on his right uncomfortably. 

“Your father’s room?” Hannibal guessed. 

“Yeah.” 

“Do you want to go inside?” 

“No,” Will replied after a moment of hesitation. “His solicitor said that’s where he had the heart attack. He was asleep in bed.” 

Will reached out for the handle of the other door, opening it slowly. He stepped inside and Hannibal followed. Will’s bedroom was a sad affair. The tiny box room sported a single bed and a wardrobe and a lopsided book shelf. The walls were a yellowed white and held nothing to indicate Will’s character or his former life. 

“Has it always been so empty?” 

“I asked the solicitor to put this place up for sale. He had a removal team come round and clear it out but they still need to get rid of some of the furniture.” 

“Will,” Hannibal began. “Selling your childhood home must have been a hard choice to make. Why do you want to sell it?” 

“This hasn’t been my home for years now Hannibal,” Will told him, half heartedly kicking the leg of his bed. “What do I want with a rusty old trailer at the other end of the country?” 

“But there must surely be memories and sentiment attached here?” 

“I’ve got all my memories up here,” Will replied, tapping his temple. “There’s nothing here for me anymore Hannibal. I don’t have any family, any friends. There’s no reason for me to stay.” 

“What if you decide you wish to move back to Louisiana in the future? You will eventually be discharged from Port Haven after all.” 

“Then I’ll go buy an old boat and live on the docks,” Will smiled, shaking his head. “I was always going to leave this place anyway Hannibal. I wasn’t going to stick around for the rest of my life, going nowhere fixing old boat motors and nursing an addiction to whiskey like my dad.” 

“Will you not miss it?” 

“I’ve missed it every day I’ve been away from it,” Will slowly worded. “I miss my dad every day. I miss this crappy trailer every day and I mix being out on the bayou fishing with him all the time. But I can’t just cling on to all of this. I reckon my dad wouldn’t have wanted me to anyhow.” 

“You’re being incredibly brave about all of this Will,” Hannibal praised him. 

Will didn’t reply, simply looking around the sparse little room a few moments longer before he turned back to look at Hannibal with a sad, distant look in his eyes. 

“I’m ready to go now. I didn’t want to stay here too long anyway.” 

Hannibal nodded, letting him walk ahead out back into the front of the trailer. Will paused at the fridge, looking down at the Polaroid photos stuck haphazardly all over the appliance. He reached down and plucked them away from the fridge’s surface, neatly shuffling them into a pile and slipping them in the back pocket of his jeans. Will gave the trailer one last look before heading out the door, not looking back to see if Hannibal was following. He knew he would be. 

Hannibal didn’t ask him where they were going as they began to trek through the park, the trees becoming more dense and thick around them until they seemed to have left the park, walking along a roughly marked out path through the heavy forest around them. It had always reminded Will of a jungle, the forest. The trees were so thick and dark, boasting thick, curling vines that hung around their branches and swayed above his head. The path down to the swampy waters of the Bayou Teche was barely maintained, foliage and nature creeping onto the path at every step. The hum of insects and croaks of bulbous frogs and toads was so familiar, comforting him down to his bones. Hannibal remained silent as they walked, which Will was grateful for. The Alpha could sense that Will had no use for his words right then, just his presence. He knew that Will wanted to be on his own to do this and Hannibal felt a pang of guilt at the fact he was here, feeling almost as if he was intruding on something so intensely private. 

“I’m sorry I had to be here with you Will,” Hannibal told him. “I know you wanted to do this alone.” 

Will didn’t look back or stop as they continued to trudge towards the water. “You’re right that I wanted to do this on my own. But I want you here too. I don’t know what would happen if I was by myself.” 

“You’re worried you would behave irrationally?” 

“Maybe,” Will replied with a shrug. “Maybe I would have just curled up on the floor in my trailer and never left. Maybe I would have thrown myself in the Bayou with rocks in my pockets.” 

“Will,” Hannibal murmured, his voice sounding odd to his own ears. “If you are contemplating - ”

“Don’t worry Hannibal. I’m not going to kill myself,” Will interrupted, his voice cold. “And no, I’m not considering it and I haven’t considered it since I got out of Muskrat Farm. I’m here to say goodbye to my son, not end my life, so don’t start freaking out about safe guarding issues or any of that bullshit.” 

“But you admit you thought about it when you were with Mason.” 

“I thought about it nearly every day,” Will openly told him, as if it was nothing. “And I don’t think I was crazy for thinking about it. I think you would be crazy to _not_ think about it if you were living in Hell every day for three years.” 

“Did you ever attempt it?” 

“Mason made sure there was no way I could. There was never anything sharp in my room, nothing to hang myself from or drown myself in, no medication lying around to overdose on. The windows didn’t open far enough for me to get an arm out.” 

“How would you have done it, if you had the opportunity?” 

Will fell silent, frowning to himself at the question. “That’s an odd thing to ask Dr. Lecter.” 

“You do not have to tell me if you don’t feel comfortable Will.” 

“I would have done anything. I didn’t care how I could do it, it just mattered that I could.” 

Will abruptly came to a stop then, Hannibal drawing up short behind him before he had chance to contemplate Will’s answer. He didn’t realise how far they’d walked, now completely away from civilisation. There was no one around for miles. Just the two of them and the singing insects and croaking frogs and dark, muggy waters of the Bayou. 

“We’re here.” 

Hannibal looked over at Will, noticing the downturned corners of his mouth and the vacant look in his eyes. He was staring into the water below them, thick sets of reeds separating them and the Bayou. 

“Do you want to talk about this first?” Hannibal asked him cautiously. 

“I don’t think I really have anything to say right now,” Will breathed, not taking his eyes off of the water. “Maybe later.” 

“We can take as long as you need Will.” 

Will nodded and then slowly sank down to sit on the bank, placing the bag down next to him and fishing the Polaroid photos out of his back pocket to lay on the ground next to him, curling his knees up to his chest and wrapping his arms around himself. 

“Will you sit with me a little while?” 

The Omega was the only person in the whole world that Hannibal would willingly cover himself in swampy dirt for and sit down with on the banks of the Bayou in the muggy afternoon heat. 

“Do you think there’s anything after death?” Will uttered, breaking the silence with his troubled voice. 

“I have no fixed belief on what happens to us when we die,” Hannibal. “I was raised to believe there was an afterlife, but life itself has suggested otherwise. It’s the one thing I don’t philosophise about. I am content to find out – or not – what happens when I come to the end.”

“I never knew anyone that died,” Will thought aloud. “Jasper was the first dead person I ever saw. The first I ever knew to die. And I didn’t really ever know him.” 

“I do not believe that to be true Will,” Hannibal gently disagreed. “You knew Jasper before you brought him into the world.” 

Will’s hand automatically twitched to his stomach, resting on his lower abdomen. “I don’t remember it. Mason had me drugged up the moment I went into labour and kept me like that until it was over. I remember he let me hold him for a few minutes after he was born. I can barely remember what he felt like, what he sounded like, I was that dosed up on God knows what.” 

“You wanted to experience it all.” 

“Every bit of it. I wanted to feel it all happen, every bit of pain. I wanted to hear him crying and make that bond with him when I held him for the first time.”

“The pain of losing a child is the greatest suffering we can possibly go through,” Hannibal conceded, following Will’s gaze to lazy waters below them. 

“You say it as if you know what it’s like.” 

“I acted as my sister’s father. I thought of her as my own child,” Hannibal confessed to him. 

“I didn’t know you had a sister.” 

“Mischa. She died, many years ago. It is far in the past now.” 

Will went quiet for a while, hands slowly ripping up blades of grass with trembling fingers. “You know, you’re the only one who doesn’t say sorry to me. Everyone else is always so sorry, sorry that I was taken, sorry that Mason had me locked up for years. Sorry that my dad died, sorry that Jasper died, sorry that I miscarried so many times. Sorry that I was raped, sorry that Mason bonded with me. It just goes on and on.” 

“I do not think you would appreciate or want to hear me apologise to you about those things. I think you would find it tedious.” 

“I would,” Will agreed. “I’m grateful you don’t apologise. I think it would drive me insane if you started saying sorry too.” 

“Then I shall only ever say I am sorry if I have wronged you Will, which I have no intention of doing.”

Will stood up then, leaving Hannibal sat on the floor. He approached the banks, pulling Jasper’s urn out of his bag. He turned and looked at Hannibal as he got to the edge of the banks, clasping his son’s urn tightly. 

“I’m glad you’re here Hannibal.” 

With that Will turned and climbed down the banks with ease, as if he had done so countless times before, which Hannibal presumed he had. He slipped down to the water with grace, looking the most sure of himself Hannibal had ever seen. This was where Will belonged. 

He watched the Omega wade into the waters carefully, his footing so sure. The image was beautiful, Will stood so still amongst the black waters of the Bayou like it was the only place he truly belonged, the waters curling around him past his waist as hazy fingers of sunlight pried through the thick covering of trees over his head, stroking his skin and catching all his pale darkness. 

Will removed the lid of Jasper’s urn, unable to bring himself to look inside at the baby’s ashes. He stared down into the water, imagining Jasper’s essence travelling out to the mouth of the sea and into deeper oceans, twisting into the water and eventually being drawn into the sky from the heat of the sun until he was caught in the winds and spread across the globe. 

“This is the only thing left I can do for you,” Will whispered into the water. 

The urn ever so slowly tipped over then, Jasper’s ashes falling like snow into the water. Will watched as the Bayou consumed his son, the water’s arms sweeping open and welcoming him to its darkness. 

Will stood there in the water after the urn was empty and screamed in his head over and over _I love you, I love you, I love you_ until the water made him shiver and he knew it was time to return to Hannibal. 

When Will waded out of the Bayou, his face was wet with tears and a sob broke free from his throat. 

Hannibal didn’t think twice about wrapping his arms around him when he flung himself wet and freezing against Hannibal’s chest. He buried his face in Hannibal’s neck and sobbed, his hands curling against the Alpha’s shirt as he sucked in needy breaths filled with his scent, soothing the fire in his veins. Hannibal folded his arms around his back tightly, rubbing circles into his ribs with his thumbs as he laid his cheek against Will’s curls. He inhaled deeply the Omega’s scent, so pleasant it made him shudder and his eyes slip shut. 

“ _Hannibal_ ,” Will whimpered into his neck, shaking. 

“It’s ok Will, I’ve got you,” Hannibal soothed him, rubbing his cheek against his curls. “I’ve got you.” 

Behind them, the insects continued to buzz, the frogs carried on croaking and the waters of the Bayou hummed as they carried away Jasper’s ashes.


	9. Ninth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cemeteries, arguments, opera and truth telling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The moment we've all been waiting for.

That night when they returned to the hotel, Will went straight to his room and shut the door. Hannibal contemplated simply walking through to Will through the door conjoining their rooms, but knew the Omega valued his space. He did not want to push Will away by forcing his presence on him, and so he simply went to his own room and showered, relishing in the hot steam and soap washing away the sticky fingerprints of the Bayou. He felt as though he could still feel Will’s body pressed against his, his hands still gripping at Hannibal and his breath clouding against his throat. 

When he stepped out of the shower he looked down at his suit, covered in mud and water from where Will had pressed against him. Normally such a thing would have caused his lip to curl up and his eyes to glimmer with disgust, but the sight merely made him sigh; how could he ever be anything but fascinated by Will? He mused to himself that the Omega could dump his entire wardrobe into the Bayou and Hannibal would still marvel at him. 

Hannibal spent the next three hours reading his emails, scrolling through his phone, sipping on the barely acceptable wine in the mini fridge and fighting the nerve shattering urge to fling the door open to Will’s room and forcing the Omega to be in his presence. 

He got sick of it, eventually, and knocked on the door. 

“Will?” 

There was no answer and Hannibal slowly grasped the door handle. Maybe he was asleep, or showering. The door pulled inwards and Hannibal peered into the room. 

The bed was untouched and the room looked as if Will had never been there. He went to the bathroom, knocking again. 

“Will?” 

When there was silence again, Hannibal flung the door open and found it as equally empty as the bedroom.

His nostrils flared in anger as he strode out of the room. 

 

The restaurant, reception, bar, indoor pool and outdoor pool were all devoid of Will. Hannibal was _livid_ to say the least. It was just as well for the boy that Hannibal cared for him, otherwise he probably would have been pushed to tear him limb from limb. He did not tolerate such things. 

Steeling himself, Hannibal reminded himself that Will was most likely panicking. He had been through an emotionally draining day and had slipped into flight mode, as Omegas often did when faced with overwhelming mental pressures. However, knowing that Will’s sense of self preservation was somewhat lacking made the Alpha concerned he would do something to harm himself or get himself into an unwanted situation. Hannibal was not used to feeling possessive and the thought of Will alone here in Lafayette made his blood run cold. Anything could happen to him whilst Hannibal wasn’t by his side to ensure he was safe. He could be snatched off of the streets again and – 

He refused to let himself imagine it. 

 

On the other side of town, Will was stepping off of a bus to arrive at the cemetery. He knew Hannibal would be furious and looking for him, but he had not expected to actually get this far. He approached the gates to the cemetery, pushing them open and wincing at the wail the rusting hinges gave upon moving. He wasn’t sure how long it would take to find his father’s grave, but he would.  
He’d spend all night reading every last grave stone if he had to. 

It took him twenty minutes in the end. His father’s grave was tucked away in the corner of the sprawling cemetery, underneath a forlorn, towering willow tree. Will wondered whether he should have brought flowers, but he didn’t see the point. He’d never understood why people brought flowers to graves; they only withered away and died in the face of another’s more permanent death. He much preferred the tradition in Jewish grave yards of placing stones on graves. Stones were permanent. Flowers were not. 

Again, his father’s solicitor had been the one to inform him of where Eloi Graham was buried in the letters they had been exchanging since Will had been living at Port Haven. Will observed the simple, granite stone that bore nothing other than the name ‘Eloi Graham’, his birthday and his death day. Underneath the dates was ‘Devoted father to Will’. It made his eyes sting with tears. Eloi had been the only constant in Will’s life. He’d helped his mother bring him into the world in their tiny, cramped trailer and had raised him. He’d taught him how to ride a bike, how to cast lines and the best fishing tackle for catching trout and carp and catfish. He’d taught him how to repair boat motors and had picked him up from his first day of school. He’d let Will crawl into his bed when he was small and the storms kept Will awake at night and he’d sat on their porch in the evenings with him and taught him the names of all the constellations above them in space. 

And then they had been ripped apart from each other in one simple moment, just like that. 

Will’s phone buzzed violently against his leg in his pocket and Will swallowed, knowing full well who was calling. 

He pressed the answer button and held his breath. 

“Where are you.” 

It was not a question, but a stony statement that made Will’s stomach feel like it had dropped out of his body. 

“I...,” Will began but found himself too overwhelmed to talk. 

“William. Tell me where you are.” 

“At my dad’s grave.” 

“Text me the address.” 

“Ok,” Will mumbled, tears forming in his eyes. “Hannibal, I - ”

“The address, Will. I will see you shortly.” 

The line went dead and Will allowed himself a singular sob into the dusk of the cemetery before he gritted his teeth and sent Hannibal the address. The sun was sinking slowly towards the ground, the arms of swaying trees welcoming the glowing orb to the horizon. Will sank to his knees and knelt before the grave in silence. 

“You’d know what to do,” Will murmured to the head stone. “You always did.” 

There was no answer of course, and Will had expected nothing less, but could not help the craving inside of him to hear his father’s voice one more time. 

“I don’t know what I’m doing,” Will continued. “This whole thing is so strange. I wonder what you’d say if you knew what was going on.”

There was no reply other than the sound of cars passing on the freeway in the distance and the sighing breeze. Will wasn’t sure how long he sat there for, his legs folded beneath him, but the sound of footsteps wrenched him back to reality and he realised his legs had gone completely numb and dead. 

He felt the heat of Hannibal’s presence behind him, but did not turn round to look at him. He didn’t want to see the anger that was no doubt laying across the Alpha’s features or face the waves of disapproval that were rolling off of him. 

“You could have told me you wanted to visit your father’s grave.” 

He didn’t sound angry. Will turned around and looked at him, not hiding the tears that were rolling down his cheeks and dripping off of his chin and jaw. Hannibal stood there a few steps behind him, dressed in a new suit and looking as composed as ever. His face was soft and his eyes bore sadness in them, not the fury Will had been expecting. 

“I wanted to come alone,” Will rasped out into the air between them. “I’m sorry.” 

“Do you have any idea how dangerous this was?” Hannibal gritted out, frowning. “I had no clue where you had gone and anything could have happened to you.” 

“But it didn’t,” Will pointed out, looking back at his father’s grave stone. 

“But it _could have_ ,” Hannibal snarled. 

It was the first time Will had ever heard the man sound angry and it made him want to crawl into the soil beneath him. 

“I’m not a child anymore Hannibal,” Will tried to argue. “I don’t see - ”

“No. You do not see, at all. You do not see whatsoever how irresponsible this was. I am supposed to be looking after you Will, and how am I supposed to do that when you disappear?” 

Will rose to his feet then, turning to look at Hannibal with betrayal in his wet eyes. “Hannibal, nothing happened to me. I’m fine, see? I just wanted to do this by myself. I was going to come back.” 

“You could have been taken again Will,” Hannibal spat, his eyes bubbling with a growing darkness. “It is not _safe_ for Omegas to go wandering around at night on their own. You may as well have been screaming for someone to take you!” 

“This is ridiculous,” Will told him flatly, glaring. “You’re being paranoid. I’m more than capable of getting a fucking bus and walking around without being snatched up by someone who wants to sell me on the fucking black market Hannibal.” 

He wasn’t expecting the Alpha to crowd into his space and tower above him, but Hannibal moved with a frightening speed. 

“Do you think that the people who took you aren’t aware that you’re free again? Do you think they won’t have seen your face all over the news, won’t have heard about how you were found and are roaming around in the world again?” Hannibal seethed, baring his teeth. “For all they know, you could be giving statements to the police or the FBI about them, you could be a threat to them. Do you think they would not hesitate to take you again if they found you?” 

“No one is looking for me,” Will hissed, not relenting and holding his ground as he continued to glare up at the Alpha. “You’re overreacting Hannibal! I can’t believe you’re being like this!” 

“I am _not_ overreacting William,” Hannibal shot back, his voice _too_ calm. “You disappeared from the hotel without a word, you didn’t tell me where you were going and I’ve been looking for you all night. I thought you knew better than this Will.” 

Will stepped back from him, shaking his head. “This has nothing to do with you Hannibal. I wanted to come here and visit my father’s grave, it wasn’t as if I was doing anything dangerous! Why can’t you just let me have my privacy?” 

“I have done nothing but let you have your privacy,” Hannibal growled. “I have done nothing but let you have your space and given you room to breathe Will. All I ask for is for you to respect the fact you are still a minor and under my care seeing as Alana couldn’t come here with you. I’m _responsible_ for you.” 

“You are all the fucking same,” Will breathed out in disbelief. “All of you. You, Alana, Margot. All of you don’t trust me, you all want me constantly under your eye; want to know everything I do. It’s _suffocating_ Hannibal. You may as well take a leaf out of Mason’s book and keep me locked up in the same room for the rest of my fucking life.” 

Hannibal found himself lost for words for once. He simply stared at Will, trying to put his thoughts back together to reply with something comprehensible.

“Do not compare me to your mate,” Hannibal managed, everything in his instincts screaming at him to pin Will beneath him and snarl into the boy’s neck. “You are not a cruel person Will. Do not start to become one.” 

“This isn’t like you Hannibal,” Will bit back, his eyes blazing. “But you’re starting to sound just like Alana and Margot and the way you’re _acting_ , you don’t have any right to. You have no right to tell me what to do. You’re not my doctor, you’re not my family; you’re not my _mate_.”

Will had never seen Hannibal look so hurt or taken aback, and he immediately felt guilty. 

“No, I’m none of those things Will. You’re right,” Hannibal murmured. “I have only ever tried to be your friend.”

Will stepped forwards and shakily reached for the Alpha, cautiously slipping his fingers around Hannibal’s large hand. “Then be my friend Hannibal, for God’s sake. Don’t treat me like I’m going to break, don’t try and hide me from the world like Alana and Margot. That’s not what I need from you.” 

Will’s breath caught in his throat when Hannibal’s free hand rose up to cup the side of his face, his palm warm and gentle as his fingers curled in Will’s hair and his thumb brushed against his ear. 

“And what is it that you need from me?” Hannibal asked, his eyes softening. 

“I’m still trying to understand what I need,” Will told him earnestly, leaning his head into Hannibal’s palm. “But right now I need you to trust me. I trust you, Dr. Lecter. I’d like you to return that trust.” 

Will pushed forwards and let his arms instinctively slide around Hannibal’s shoulders, resting his head against Hannibal’s broad, hard chest for the second time that day. Hannibal’s arms settled around Will’s slim waist and it was the first time Will found himself feeling safe since he had left Louisiana three years ago. 

“I’m sorry Will,” Hannibal breathed into his hair. “I do trust you. I just find myself overwhelmed with the worry that something could happen to you. I would never forgive myself.” 

“I’m not going anywhere,” Will sighed against his chest. “I promise.” 

 

An hour later found the pair sat in a tiny little seafood restaurant in down town Lafayette, one that Hannibal would not normally be seen dead in, but he was helpless to Will’s eager smile and his insistence that this was the best place in all of Lafayette to eat. They sat across from each other in the dimly lit restaurant with its warm, cosy orange walls and art deco lamp shades and the smell of cooking swimming in the air from the little kitchen at the back. 

Will gushed with enthusiasm as he told Hannibal of shrimp linguine, Creole Jambalaya, oysters Rockefeller, seafood gumbo and oxtail soup. He insisted Hannibal would have to eat eggs Sardou with gulf shrimp and grits, crawfish boil and red beans and rice, Po-Boys and Creole bread pudding with vanilla whiskey. 

“And Étouffée, and fried okra,” Will continued, waving his fork around enthusiastically before spearing another piece of crayfish that lay on his plate. “Étouffée is my favourite.” 

“It would be interesting to see if I could attempt to cook any of these dishes,” Hannibal mused with a grin. “No doubt you would taste them and tell me only a native Cajun could cook them properly.” 

Will rolled his eyes. “Don’t be stupid. You’d probably get it perfect the first time. You’re annoying like that.” 

Hannibal merely hummed in amusement. They continued to eat in comfortable silence until Hannibal sat back and regarded the Omega. 

“I owe you an apology Will,” Hannibal told him. “I shouldn’t have spoken to you so harshly before. It was incredibly insensitive of me and I’m just as unimpressed with my behaviour as you are.” 

“You don’t have to say sorry Hannibal,” Will sighed. “I’ll admit I didn’t think it through and I shouldn’t have just disappeared but today has just been kind of weird for me.” 

“Which is precisely why I should have been more understanding. Speaking to you like that at your father’s grave... it was inexcusable.” 

Will grinned at him softly. “So, even Hannibal Lecter gets ruled by his biology sometimes. Even you can’t escape the fact you can lose your temper.” 

“I usually have more sense than to let unpleasant primordial instincts get the better of me,” Hannibal replied grimly, looking rather disgusted at the thought of himself having something so human as _instincts_. “It appears I lose that sense when it comes to you.” 

The dim lighting of the restaurant made Will seem even darker, his eyes like indigo and his hair as black as the waters of the Bayou he had waded through earlier that day. “I find that hard to believe.” 

“Even after you saw how irrationally I behaved tonight?” 

“Mmm,” Will smiled secretively to himself, his lids heavy. “I think that so far I’ve only scratched the surface of how separated I could get you from your senses. I haven’t even _tried_ yet.” 

Hannibal’s jaw tightened and he could practically feel his pupils dilating whilst his scent thickened. “Careful, Will.” 

“I think it would do you some good,” Will continued regardless, leaving forwards a fraction. “Maybe you wouldn’t have such a stiff upper lip all the time if you just let go once in a while.” 

Hannibal’s mind flashed to the blood and the gore he bathed himself in on his hunts, the ecstasy that sang through his veins as he created his art and settled himself into the role of God. He wanted to tell Will that he did let go, very often in fact, but just not in the way the Omega thought. His release was death, not the sexual catharsis Will had in mind. 

“Would you care to explain, Will?” Hannibal nearly purred, returning the Omega’s grin. “I’m curious as to how I should ‘let go’.” 

Will bit his lip, shaking his head as his smile widened. “Now you’re just being awkward Dr. Lecter. You know what I mean.” 

“I don’t think I do,” Hannibal pressed him. 

_You started this, Will. You will finish it._

“I’m not sure it would be _appropriate_ to explain it you,” Will teased him. “You might find it crass and I wouldn’t want to offend you.” 

“I thought we agreed to be honest with each other Will,” Hannibal reminded the Omega. “After all, you said it yourself earlier; I’m not your doctor or your family. I’m your friend, am I not?” 

“Alright then,” Will replied, his tone and his expression saying _you asked for it_. “As your _friend_ I only meant that maybe you wouldn’t be so serious all the time if you were fucking someone. Sex is wonderful for your mental health, or so I’ve been told.” 

“Is that your diagnosis then?” Hannibal smirked. “Fucking someone will cure my apparent seriousness?” 

Hearing Hannibal say the words made Will blush, the swearing sounding so alien but appealing in the doctor’s mouth. “Worth trying I suppose.” 

“And what if I’m happy to remain single and to maintain my ‘stiff upper lip’ as you put it? What if I have no desire for a relationship?” 

“But are you happy, Hannibal?” 

“Yes. I find pleasure in my work, my friendships. I haven’t felt the need for a relationship in a long time.” 

“That’s a shame,” Will told him softly. 

“You think it’s a shame I’m not fucking anyone?” 

I think it’s a shame you’re not fucking _me_ , Will mused in his head. “Maybe. I think whoever was with you would be lucky to have you. I think you would be incredibly... attentive.” 

“May I ask why you think that?” 

Will was unconscious of the way he bared his neck in a display of submission to the doctor as he leant forwards across their little table. “I think that because I know you don’t do anything half heartedly. Why would you be any different in bed?” 

Hannibal fixed him with a pleased, levelled look, drinking in the creamy stretch of Will’s neck he offered before stopping the waiter that passed them and asking him for the bill. When he returned his gaze to Will he had retreated slightly, a lovely flush spreading across his cheeks. He said nothing for a few minutes and the Omega squirmed in his seat at the situation he had created. 

At least it had been Will to cross this line first, and not him. 

“As I said before, Will,” Hannibal rumbled across the table. “Careful.” 

 

That night as Will lay in the amazingly soft bed of his hotel room, he sweated and twitched in his sleep. It was as if even whilst unconscious, he was hyper aware of the Alpha next door to him, only a few steps away. His dreams were filled with darkened rooms that night, of strong, broad hands curling around his neck and his wrists and purring foreign words into his ears as sharp teeth scraped against his pulse and deft fingers stroked his ribs and hips and thighs. 

He awoke the next day nearly drenched in his own slick with an unbearable erection. 

 

Returning to Port Haven was miserable. He had wanted to stay in Louisiana longer. Wanted more evenings of dangerous conversation in intimate little restaurants and lingering looks and drifting hands across the small of his back and to show Hannibal more of the backwaters of his home, to take him to his favourite lakes and sit by the docks and marvel at the Alpha’s amber eyes and sculpted cheekbones. He couldn’t have what he longed for though, and returned to Baltimore with a heavy heart. 

Alana picked them up from the airport as promised and dropped Hannibal off at his home before they went back to Port Haven. Hannibal bid them both an equally frustratingly polite goodbye before heading into his house, not even glancing back at Will as Alana pulled away from the doctor’s home. When they returned to Port Haven, Will declared that he was tired after travelling and wanted catch up on some sleep. Once inside his room, he slumped down onto his bed and placed his phone next to him, staring at the device in determination as if he could somehow telepathically command Hannibal to call him or text him. 

Thirty minutes of this relentless staring passed, and Will started to feel drowsy. He was about to drift off when he heard the buzz. He swiped the cell up, eagerly opening the message from Hannibal. 

**Are you free next Friday evening?**

**No actually, I’m busy staring out of my bedroom window and avoiding group therapy. Sorry**

**What a shame. I was going to ask if you would accompany me to the opera.**

**Maybe I could reschedule my broody staring out of the window session.**

**Wonderful. I will pick you up at 6pm.**

**Don’t you need a suit for fancy stuff like the opera?**

**Yes. Your suit should arrive in the next few days. Let me know if it needs any alterations, although I think the measurements will be accurate.**

**You are ridiculous Hannibal.**

**You’re welcome my dearest Will.**

Will bit his lip and couldn’t stop the gigantic grin that spread across his face. He was right though, Hannibal was completely ridiculous. And perfect. And warm, and tempting and strong and since when did he sound like a love sick teenager? 

The next day he went to his therapy session with Alana and she did not fail to notice the bags under his eyes and the bursts of red he had torn into his lip from biting it too hard. 

“You look exhausted Will,” Alana commented. “Is everything alright? Do you need to see one of the nurses?” 

“I just didn’t sleep too well last night,” Will sighed, shifting in his chair. “The usual nightmares. Except I woke up and found myself stood in the corner of my bedroom staring at the wall this morning.”

“You were sleep walking?” Alana asked, frowning. “That’s quite a development from just having nightmares Will.” 

Will shrugged. “I used to sleep walk as a kid but I grew out of it. S’probably nothing.” 

“It doesn’t sound like nothing to me.” 

“Well if it carries on I’ll agree with you that it’s something.”

“Do you think that going back to Louisiana could have caused it?” 

“It was just a bit of sleepwalking Alana, I didn’t have a psychotic episode,” Will grumbled, rubbing his eyes. “And going home was very... healing.” 

“Healing?”

“Yes. I think it’s really going to help. I’m glad I went, I was even kind of sad to leave.” 

“It was your home Will, I’m not surprised you were sad to leave. Do you think you’re ready to talk about what it was like to scatter Jasper’s ashes?” 

“It was hard but it felt right. I feel... I don’t know, I feel kind of lighter. I haven’t let him go, but I feel like he’s in the right place now. I think I did the best I could to make this whole thing a little more peaceful.” 

“I’m glad you feel that way Will, this is a huge step in the right direction. You’re doing so well considering you’ve only been at Port Haven for four months.”

“Alana... when do you think I’ll ever get out of here?” Will asked her hesitantly, unable to meet her eyes. “I know it won’t be any time soon, but I just... I don’t know.” 

“Well,” Alana sighed, fiddling with her pen. “At least until you’re eighteen. There’s been discussion with social services that you’re going to need a psych evaluation regularly leading up to your birthday to determine how ready you are for the outside world. We were thinking that maybe once your heat has passed we could begin to evaluate you.” 

“That’s a month away.” 

“I know. I can push the timings back if you don’t feel you’re ready for anyone else to evaluate you, but seeing as you’ve been doing so well in the past month or so I thought it would ok.” 

“I’m not good at having people picking around my head. They’ll evaluate me and decide I need to stay here.” 

“They’ll continue to evaluate you every month or so Will, until we think you’re ready to leave.” 

“Where will I go?” Will wondered, wide eyed. 

“Wherever you want to go Will, although I would be happy if you chose to stay in Baltimore. You know that Margot has always said there is a home for you with her. And if you decided you wanted to live by yourself, I’ll help you apply for all the right government and social security funding, help you manage the money you’ll get from selling your father’s boat and the trailer - ”

“I want to go back to school. I want to go to night classes. I want to go to university at some point Alana.” 

Alana beamed. “That’s wonderful Will. We could look for night classes right now if you wanted?” 

“I’d like that.” 

 

Friday evening arrived and Will found himself pacing his bedroom floor in his new suit. It had arrived precisely two days after Hannibal had invited him to the opera. The deep navy suit and matching waistcoat and tight, white shirt fit him like a glove along with the scarily expensive looking leather shoes Hannibal had sent him. He didn’t even want to think about how much it had cost and wasn’t sure whether to be flattered or surly about the fact the suit complimented his pale skin and dark hair and matched his eyes. The Alpha had even sent him mother of pearl cufflinks. It made Will uncomfortable, but at the same he couldn’t stop stroking the incredible fabric of the silky black tie and gently touching the glossy pearls in his cufflinks. He would insist Hannibal took it all back after the opera of course. There was no way Will could accept this, and had only managed to dress himself in the suit by convincing himself that it was more a rental situation; a loan of sorts.  
His cell vibrated against his bed and he picked up to see Hannibal had text him saying he was waiting downstairs in the reception. 

When he got downstairs Alana was stood talking with the Alpha, smiling brightly at him as they conversed. Hannibal was dressed in black, the suit clinging to him and folding around the wide set of his shoulders, his perfectly muscled arms and narrowed waist. His shirt was a stark white, juxtaposing the doctor in a wonderful monochrome. His hair was styled as it always was, slicked back without a single hair out of place. Will’s stomach twisted at the sight of him and he wondered how long it would be until the smell and sight of the Alpha would start to make him sweat. He was breathtaking. 

Hannibal raked his own eyes up and down Will, drinking in sight of him in the suit he had chosen. The wave of satisfaction of seeing the Omega in clothes he had chosen was immense, the possessiveness overwhelming. Will looked even better than he had imagined he would. The suit enhanced every beautiful line and curve of his body, drew out the depths of his eyes and made his skin seem even more enticing. He smiled broadly at him. 

“Ready to go Will?” Hannibal purred. 

“Yes,” the Omega mumbled, keeping his eyes downturned. 

Alana had not let the intense staring between the pair go unnoticed and she watched Will carefully. “I hope you enjoy the opera Will. I’m rather jealous I couldn’t get the evening free to come with you.” 

“You were going to come?” Will asked, lifting an eyebrow. 

“Yes, Hannibal invited both of us but I have an evening lecture to give over at the training academy for the BAU. I promised Jack a few days ago,” Alana explained. 

“Hopefully you will be able to join us next time Alana,” Hannibal smoothly interjected. “Or perhaps dinner sometime soon?” 

“I’d love to,” Alana hummed. “You guys get going, you don’t want to be late!”

The drive to the opera house was a relatively quiet one. Will was visibly tense and it made Hannibal want to rub his hand over his knee and thigh as he drove with the other. 

“Is everything all right Will?” 

“I’ve never been to the opera before. I’m worried I’m going to embarrass you,” he admitted, looking out the window as they drove. “I’ve never even worn a suit before. I had to get Alana to do my _tie_ for fuck’s sake.” 

“Will, you could not possibly embarrass me even if you were trying to,” Hannibal reassured him. “You shouldn’t put yourself down. I appreciate it might not be the most comfortable environment for you and I’m simply grateful you agreed to come with me.”

“Well, I’m just going to say sorry now in case I make a complete idiot of myself,” Will replied dryly. “You’re going to have to explain to me what’s going on as well, I don’t speak a word of Italian.” 

“I’d be delighted to,” Hannibal smiled. 

The smell of so many people all at once was overwhelming to Will. They’d headed for the bar when they arrived at the opera house and the room was full. Will wondered for a moment whether he would topple over the edge into a full blown panic attack, but felt Hannibal’s hand splay out across the small of his back and press firmly. 

“It’s ok, Will,” Hannibal whispered to him, bending down to speak into his ear. Will shuddered. “You can do this.” 

“Can I?” Will choked out, eyes darting from every person in the bar. 

“Yes, you can,” Hannibal confirmed, his lips grazing against his ear bor the briefest moment and Will jumped as if he’d been electrocuted. “I’m here, and nothing bad is going to happen to you.” 

“Ok,” Will breathed out, shrinking further back into Hannibal’s warmth. “Opera. Crowded room. It’s fine. I can do it.” 

The warm heat of Hannibal’s hand on the bottom of his back seeped through his clothes and he used the sensation to ground himself, unaware of how typical this behaviour was of mated couples, of bonded Alphas who could use simple little touches to ground their nervous Omegas. Hannibal, however, was fully aware of what he was going. He fully intended to give the impression that Will was his, the thought of anyone one else flirting with Will completely unacceptable. The Omega’s scent was so strong it was enough to make most dizzy; the intensity of Will’s dark sweetness had only strengthened since his bond with Mason had almost entirely dissolved, the bond bite now nothing but a small white mark on the back of his neck that would vanish completely soon. The smell of young, fertile Omega was hard to ignore, and one that was not bonded was even harder to ignore. 

“Hannibal!” 

The pair turned to see the grinning face of Mrs. Komeda. The Alpha’s lip stick was its usual blood red and her short raven hair was as severe as ever around her sharp face. 

“Mrs. Komeda,” Hannibal smoothly greeted her. “How wonderful it is to see you again.”

“It’s been far too long Hannibal,” she complained, swiftly kissing either side of his face. “And who is _this_?” 

Her eyes landed on Will and did not leave. Will shifted closer to Hannibal’s side, trying not to squirm. 

“Will Graham,” Hannibal replied. “He had the good grace to accompany me this evening.” 

“Nice to meet you Mrs. Komeda,” Will murmured, hoping he didn’t sound too awkward. 

He took the Alpha’s out stretched hand and almost winced at her too-hard grip. “A pleasure to meet you Will.” 

“How is Mr. Komeda, my dear friend? I have not seen him for a while now,” Hannibal asked, eyes growing dark at the duration of their hand shake. 

“Oh, he’s well,” she replied. “He’s over there somewhere consorting with God knows who. I’d better go and check on him, but you will find me again during the interval Hannibal, won’t you?” 

“Of course.” 

She bid them goodbye and vanished back into the crowd. It took all of two minutes until Hannibal’s name was being called again. 

“Oh, Dr. Lecter! I was hoping you’d be here tonight!” 

The voice came from a plump, short little Omega with a rounded face and bright grin. His scent was remarkably bland for an Omega, Will noted, vaguely being able to smell something like lavender in the air around him. The scent of the Alpha next to him was incredibly strong, reminding Will of cloves and oranges and cinnamon. He was as tall as Hannibal and had a carefully blank expression, his dark eyes trained on Hannibal. 

“Franklyn,” Hannibal sighed tersely. “How are you this evening?” 

“I’m wonderful Dr. Lecter,” the Omega gushed. “Ah, how rude of me! This is my dear friend, Tobias. Tobias, this is Dr. Lecter.” 

“A pleasure to meet you,” the Alpha smoothly replied, his eyes reminding Will of a shark’s. 

“And oh, I don’t believe we’ve met before,” Franklyn remarked as his eyes eventually landed on Will. “I’m Franklyn Froideveaux.”

“Will,” was his blunt reply, gingerly taking the other Omega’s hand to shake. “Nice to meet you Franklyn.” 

“Gracious, you sound as if you’re an incredibly far way away from home,” Franklyn noted. “Where is that accent from?” 

“Louisiana.” 

“I’m sure I recognise your face,” Franklyn waffled on, frowning. “Doesn’t he look familiar Tobias?” 

Tobias’ dark eyes swept over Will, lingering on his throat a little too long. Hannibal bristled at his side. “Yes, actually.” 

“Now, _where_ have I seen your face before?” Franklyn pondered, tapping his chin. “Oh! Oh, it’s _you_! You’re the Omega they found a few months ago! You went missing and -”

“Franklyn,” Hannibal cut him off, his eyes thunderous. “Please, Will does not appreciate talking of the whole ordeal. For the sake of his discretion I’d ask you do the same.” 

“I do apologise,” Franklyn spluttered, turning red. “How rude of me, I am so sorry Will.” 

“Does Will not have something to say about it?” Tobias commented in an amused voice. “Surely he can defend his own situation Dr. Lecter.” 

“Of course he can,” Hannibal replied icily. “Will is more than capable of fighting his own battles.” 

“It’s just as well this isn’t a battle then,” Will gritted out through his teeth. “Excuse me, I’m just going to find the rest room.” 

Will turned on his heel and left before another word could be said from the other three, heading straight to the bathroom. He locked himself in a stall, sitting himself down and trying to do the breathing exercises Alana had taught him. They helped a little, and he eventually emerged from the stall and washed his hands in the sink, his palms clammy and sweaty. When he finally retreated from the bathroom, he’d only taken a few steps forwards until the heavy weight of another body bumped into him. 

“For God’s sake, watch where you’re going,” the Alpha hissed. 

Will looked up at the bulky man and his glower. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bump into you.” 

The Alpha’s eyes dilated and his nostrils flared as he took in the Omega, a grin forming on his too large mouth. “It’s quite alright, it was my fault. I should have been more careful.”

Will opened his mouth to speak again and excuse himself but was cut short when the man caught his chin between his fingers and stepped far too close to Will. 

“Goodness, such beautiful eyes you have,” he remarked. “But you must hear that all the time.” 

Will wished he could jerk his chin out of the man’s hand but he was frozen. “N-no, not really. I’m sorry, I have to -”

“Please, let me buy you a drink before the opera starts,” the Alpha insisted, his teeth gleaming as he grinned. “An apology for my rudeness from before.” 

“I really have to go,” Will insisted, squirming. 

“Surely you can spare a few moments,” he purred, his hand sliding down to cup the side of Will’s slender throat, his fingers curling around the back of his neck. “There’s at least another fifteen minutes until the opera begins my dear.” 

“Please, I need to get back to my...” Will trailed off. 

His what? Hannibal wasn’t his Alpha, wasn’t his mate but the word had been hanging on his tongue nonetheless. 

“I haven’t introduced myself, how rude,” the Alpha continued, ignoring Will. “My name is Peter Rosenthal.” 

“It was lovely to meet you but I really have to get back to my friend,” Will told him, his voice shaking. 

“I’m sure they won’t miss you for a few more minutes,” Peter growled, his eyes flashing. “Please, let me get you a drink. I insist.” 

His fingers dug sharply into the back of Will’s neck and he felt as if his knees were about to give way at the Alpha’s touch, the pressure too close to where his bond bite had been, the last dregs of Mason’s bond weakly protesting at the contact from another Alpha. He knew exactly what he was doing, and any moment now his fingers were going to slip back the collar of his shirt and actually touch the soft, overly sensitive skin hidden by his clothes. 

“Will. There you are.” 

Will had never been so glad to hear that Lithuanian purr. 

The other Alpha’s eyes flashed to Hannibal, his eyes sweeping over the doctor and growing dark; a threat to his claim on the Omega who was trembling beneath his fingers so exquisitely. 

“Hannibal,” Will choked out shakily, his eyes wide and pleading and a whine stinging the back of his throat. 

“I’m sorry, I don’t think we’ve been introduced,” Hannibal almost growled, his voice deathly. “I see you’ve met my partner though.” 

A strong arm wrapped around Will’s waist and he was pulled back into the firm warmth of Hannibal’s chest, his lungs feeling like they could finally deflate. The other Alpha’s lip curled instinctively and he dropped his hand from the air where Will had been seconds ago. 

“Really,” Peter huffed out with a look of disgust. “In all my years I’ve never seen anyone be so irresponsible as to leave their Omega wandering around on their own. You want to keep an eye on him, my friend.” 

“Is that so?” Hannibal quipped back. “Perhaps I am wrong, but Will should be able to go to the rest room on his own without getting harassed on the way out.” 

“Hannibal, it’s fine, really -”

“What do you expect when you leave an unbounded Omega like him unattended, you’re lucky nothing happened to him,” Peter snapped. 

Hannibal returned his outburst with silence, his face unreadable and his gaze cold. The other Alpha waited for him to say something, the silence clearly unnerving him. 

“I see,” Hannibal murmured. “If you’ll excuse us we’ll be heading to our box now. Enjoy your evening, Mr...?”

“Rosenthal,” he sniped back. “Peter Rosenthal.” 

“Have a pleasant evening Mr. Rosenthal,” Hannibal murmured, something so sinfully dark and dreadful laying in the cold depths of his voice. “I hope the opera can provide more of an entertaining night for you rather than waiting around Omega rest rooms.”

The other Alpha spluttered, furious, but Hannibal was guiding Will away before he could say another word. He ushered Will along into the box Hannibal had booked, waves of bitter anger rolling off of him. 

“Are you alright Will?” Hannibal fussed over him, grasping his trembling hands in one of his. “I’m sorry that you had to experience that, it was completely vulgar and rude.” 

“I’m fine Hannibal,” he replied, smiling weakly. “Far worse things have happened to me than some stranger touching my neck. It’s nothing.” 

“I do not like the thought of his _hands_ all over you, it’s -”

“I am completely ok,” Will interrupted, squeezing his hand. “Now let’s watch this damned opera and you can laugh at me for having no idea what the fuck is going on for the next few hours and we can forget it happened. Please.” 

Hannibal studied him for a moment and then nodded, finally settling back in his seat. “Of course Will. I’m sorry.” 

“Shut up you idiot,” Will grumbled, smiling at him softly. 

Will had to bite down on his tongue to stop himself spluttering when Hannibal swiftly brought his hand up to his lips and pressed a warm, chaste kiss against his fingers before folding his hands together over his crossed legs. 

Will’s hand twitched to grab the doctor again throughout the entire evening, barely unable to watch the opera when Hannibal was in such close proximity to him in the dark, his scent so vibrant and strong in the box. Will wished it had some physical form so that he could bathe in it, tip it down his throat and consume it. When the opera drew to an end, Will swore he saw Hannibal’s eyes gleaming as if he was on the verge of tears. The audience rose to their feet and applauded and Will still did not take his eyes from the Alpha. 

“I’m sorry Will, but it would be rude for us to leave with saying goodbye to a few people first,” Hannibal informed him as they exited the box, his hand falling against Will’s back again as if it were habit to him now. “I hope you don’t mind waiting a while before we leave?” 

“No, of course not,” Will told him. “I’ll just make sure I don’t go to the bathroom on my own again.” 

“I am still appalled at that man’s behaviour,” Hannibal snarled. “He shouldn’t be allowed out in public if that’s what he deems as acceptable conduct.” 

“You never know, you might see his face in the papers one day for being arrested with assault,” Will said thoughtfully. 

_I will see his face in the papers when they report his death_ , Hannibal thought to himself, barely containing his anger. And a slow death it would be, the only acceptable end for him after daring to touch Will. Will was _his_. 

Back inside the bar, waves of people ascended on Hannibal once again, all of them begging for his attention. Will gritted his teeth as every Alpha that Hannibal spoke to let their eyes linger on him too long, staring at him like they wanted to devour him. 

“Such a lovely companion you’ve brought to the opera tonight Hannibal,” one of them drawled, smirking at Will. “How did the two of you meet? Oh, I can imagine it was so romantic.” 

Will wanted to snap at the man and tell him that no, it had not been romantic whatsoever, and he had met Hannibal in a psychiatric facility for raped and abused Omegas after being held captive by a fucking maniac for three years. 

“Just through a friend,” Will replied with a tight smile. 

“Oh, isn’t he the sweetest thing,” the Alpha cooed, grinning lazily at Hannibal. “I have to say Hannibal; we’re all rather flustered over this new rendezvous. None of us thought you had any interest in a relationship, let alone an Omega. And such a charming one at that... but then of course you would have the best of the best, wouldn’t you?” 

“I don’t know. What do you say Will? Would you agree I only have the best?” Hannibal smirked, looking down at Will who wanted to jam his elbow in Hannibal’s ribs for letting this happen. 

“I completely agree; which is why I’m so confused as to why you wanted me to come with you. I’m sure there would have been far better companions for you to bring,” Will shot back, his smile forced and his eyes dark. 

The other Alpha burst into laughter. “And he’s funny _too_. You’d better be quick Hannibal and get a bite on his neck, otherwise you might find him being whisked away by another admirer.” 

Will fought to stop his jaw from dropping at the comment, nearly bursting out laughing. Hannibal merely smiled back at the man. 

“It was lovely to see you Eric,” Hannibal announced, ending their interaction. “I’m afraid Will and I must be leaving now, but I’m sure we’ll meet again soon.” 

“Have a _wonderful_ evening you two,” Eric said, his voice dripping with suggestion. He even winked at Will. “I expect to hear happy news next time I see you Dr. Lecter!” 

“Goodnight Eric,” Hannibal smoothly voiced. 

Will wanted to sprint out of the bar and all the way back to Port Haven and throw himself at Alana’s feet and beg her to never, ever let Hannibal take him to the opera again. When they reached Hannibal’s car, Will slammed the door closed he was so angry. 

“Are all Alphas so slimy and narrow minded?” Will hissed. “The fucking nerve of them, it was as if I wasn’t even there! Where the fuck do they get off, saying all that personal stuff about us? Why did they all think we were screwing each other?!” 

Hannibal sighed and merely watched Will. “They are tiring, you’re right. And no, they had no right to assume such things about you.” 

“How are you not angry about all of this?” Will demanded. “How are you being so calm about all of this? It’s insulting Hannibal, none of them even looked at me like I was person! They were all just undressing me with their fucking eyes and -”

“Will, it’s not worth getting worked up about. They are small minded people despite their best attempts to seem otherwise, and can’t comprehend that we were merely there as friends.” 

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Will spat, livid. “Why did you just let them all think we were together?” 

“Perhaps I wanted to amuse myself and pretend we were living different lives for an evening,” Hannibal replied, his voice low and his eyes dark. 

“So you thought you’d just let them all think we’re fucking each other?” Will laughed in disbelief. “You thought you’d just play along with it and not bother to tell them we aren’t together, that you’re not courting me?” 

“If that’s the conclusion that you’ve come to, then yes.”

“What are you doing here?” Will snarled, twisting his body in the leather seat of the Bentley to glower fully at the Alpha. “What game are you playing Hannibal?” 

“I am not playing a game Will.” 

“I don’t understand what you want from me,” Will whispered, confused. “One minute you’re acting like my fucking minder and pretending to be all ethical and professional and the next you’re buying me fucking suits to take me to the opera and letting everyone there think that we’re together! And ‘ _my partner_ ’? You practically told that Alpha that grabbed me outside the bathroom that we’re sleeping together!” 

“The term partner is an extremely neutral term and seemed entirely appropriate for describing the nature of our relationship,” Hannibal answered quietly. “You disagree?” 

“I thought I was supposed to be your _friend_ ,” Will growled at him. 

“So did I.” 

“ _What_?” Will gasped, unable to keep his jaw from dropping this time. “Why are you... what do you mean?” 

“I’m afraid I find myself wanting to regard you as something other than simply my friend nowadays Will,” Hannibal confessed. “It appears my feelings for you have evolved into something immoral.” 

“You’re fucking joking me,” Will deadpanned, his voice flat. “This is a joke.” 

“I would never joke about my feelings for you Will,” Hannibal murmured softly, his eyes never leaving Will’s face. “I am entirely serious.” 

“You... you’re attracted to me?” 

“I am. I have been since I first met you. I’ve been trying to suppress how I feel from the beginning and the rational thing to do would have been to tell Alana I could not see you again, to have not formed a relationship with you at all and saved us from this. But it appears my need to be around you has overridden my morals every time.” 

Will was speechless. 

“I can only say I’m sorry Will. I’ve breached countless boundaries with you and knew what I was doing every time. I have been careless in allowing myself to be around you and let my feelings for you grow.” 

“Don’t. Don’t say another word Hannibal,” Will uttered into the car. “Don’t sit there and say you’ve breached fucking boundaries or that you should have walked away after you met me.”

“I know this is upsetting for you to hear Will, but I must tell you -”

“Upsetting to hear?! It’s upsetting to hear you apologising for this when you know damn well how I feel about you!” Will seethed. “You know that I’m attracted to you too and you know that every moment I spend with you is torture because I _can’t have you_.” 

Hannibal let a silence form in the parked car, mesmerised by Will’s heaving chest and the disbelief on his face. “I needed to hear you say it Will. I still do.” 

“I want you,” he immediately replied. 

“Say it again.” 

“You self-righteous bastard!” Will hissed. “What do you want me to do, strip for you right here and get on my hands and knees on your back seat? Will that make it any clearer to you?! I want you Hannibal, in every way I can have you. I want you as my friend and I want you in ways I probably shouldn’t, but fuck it. I want every little bit.” 

“Then you can have it,” Hannibal breathed, his pupils so dilated the ring of amber had nearly disappeared. “I want you to have all of it.” 

Will threw himself across the small space between them, thrusting himself into Hannibal’s lap and pressing his mouth to Hannibal’s as if it were the only source of oxygen left in the whole world. 

Hannibal’s hands immediately came up and seized Will, wrapping around him and constricting like a python, hands moving to every part he could grasp as if Will was going to vanish at any moment. He gripped his back and his waist and his arms and knotted his fingers in Will’s hair. Will’s own hands were clutching the sides of Hannibal’s face like it was keeping him from floating into space, his own personal point of gravity. Hannibal’s mouth was hot and perfect and delicious against his, tasting of champagne and sliding into a fevered dance with Will’s lips as he caught their tongues together and gripped the back of Will’s head with a fistful of curls. 

He wrenched the Omega’s head back, his mouth seeking out Will’s throat. He groaned helplessly as Hannibal’s teeth scraped against his pulse and his other hand dug its fingers into his waist with a bruising force. Hannibal was greedy and kissed every inch of available skin in front of him, moaning deeply at the taste of Will’s skin as he lavished his tongue up the Omega’s neck and behind his ear. 

“Hannibal,” Will stuttered, hands flying to his shoulders. 

“You look so beautiful tonight Will,” Hannibal growled against his throat, stroking his hand down onto Will’s thigh. “They were all watching you, looking at how dazzling you are.” 

“You’re a bastard,” Will gasped as Hannibal’s teeth pulled his earlobe between his lips. “You made sure they’d all be looking at me.” 

“Yes,” Hannibal hissed. “I wanted them to see how perfect you are and I wanted them all to know they couldn’t have you because you’re _mine_ , Will.” 

Will trembled as Hannibal pressed their mouths back together and branded him with another searing kiss, somehow pulling Will even closer against his body, the action causing their groins to rub against each other. Will whined into Hannibal’s mouth, a violent shudder passing through him at the spark of pleasure whilst the Alpha growled, his teeth nipping at Will’s lips. 

Will began to feel dizzy, lost in everything that was Hannibal Lecter. His grip was bruising and his mouth was punishing but it was perfect. 

It was perfect until Hannibal’s hand stroked up his spine underneath his suit jacket and pressed down on the back of Will’s neck, just below his collar, right where the tiny little scar of Mason’s shrinking bonding bite was. 

Will jerked back as if he’d been electrocuted but Hannibal’s hands kept him in his lap. 

“Don’t touch me there,” Will gasped, his eyes growing wide with horror. “Don’t ever touch me there again.” 

“Will, I’m sorry,” Hannibal immediately soothed him, stroking down his flanks. “Forgive me, I was careless.”

Will said nothing, staring at Hannibal as he regained his breath. He shakily brought a hand up to touch Hannibal’s lips, the Alpha completely still beneath him as he let Will collect himself. Will’s hand crept around into Hannibal’s hair, cording his fingers through soft, ashy blonde hair that was slowly transitioning into a soft grey, a tell-tale sign of Hannibal’s age in combination with the creases on his regal, handsome face. 

“I’m sorry,” Will said with a shaky voice. “I didn’t mean to do that, I just... my bond to Mason is still dissolving. There’s still tiny little fragments of it left.” 

“I understand Will,” Hannibal murmured. “I should have known better, do not apologise to me.” 

Will lent forwards and caught Hannibal’s lips in a soft, sweet kiss before pulling back and resting their foreheads together. 

“You’re going to ask me to take you back to Port Haven now, aren’t you?” Hannibal asked, running his hands over Will’s back and waist tenderly. 

“Yes.” 

Hannibal just nodded and allowed him to arrange himself back into the passenger seat, starting the car as Will clipped himself back in. 

There was silence for a few moments until Hannibal’s hand came to rest on his leg nearest to the gear stick, just above his knee on the beginnings of the inside of his thigh. 

“We’re going to have to talk about this,” Will uttered into the silence. 

“And we shall,” Hannibal agreed. “But right now I want to be selfish and pretend that this is how we normally are and that I will not go home and spend all night thinking about you.” 

“If that’s what you want,” Will breathed, fascinated at the subtle display of possession of Hannibal’s hand on his leg. 

“For tonight, yes. It’s what I want.” 

Port Haven loomed into their vision and Will felt his insides sink at the thought of returning. Would Alana still be here or would she have gone home? Would she still be giving her lecture at the BAU? She’d be able to take one look at Will and know what they’d done, he was sure of it. 

“I don’t want to leave you,” Will confessed as Hannibal parked outside the entrance. “I want to come home with you.” 

“As tempting as that sounds Will, we both know Alana will have me hanged if you aren’t returned safely to her care.” 

“Will you call me? Tomorrow?” 

“Of course Will, I will call you every day until I see you again,” Hannibal promised, taking his hand and kissing it again as he had done earlier that night. 

“When?” 

“Alana suggested I come to Port Haven to talk to you again on Monday.” 

“Ok. Two days, I can do that.” 

Hannibal watched him carefully, stroking his thumb over Will’s knuckles. “Thank you for coming with me tonight Will. I’m sorry it turned out to be such a tedious experience for you.”

Will laughed. “I’d say it was one of the bests nights I’ve ever had. Probably the best.” 

“The best for now,” Hannibal murmured. “There will be better ones in the future.” 

“Monday,” Will announced and darted forwards in a flash to press his lips against Hannibal’s one more time before scrambling out of the car and disappearing inside of the building. 

Hannibal grinned to himself for the entire drive back home. In a few hours he would head out again and rip Peter Rosenthal’s hands from his wrists.


	10. Tenth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sleepwalking, therapy, planning and pleading.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the wait inbetween the last chapter and this one, as I try my best to update nearly every day but I needed a little creative break!  
> Thank you to every single lovely person who is reading, commenting, book marking and giving kudos. You guys are the best.

Charlie Fitz had been working as a mental health nurse in Port Haven for nearly ten years now. He’d seen a lot of Omegas come and go during that time, and a lot of them come and never go. He liked to pride himself that he knew the minute the newest Omega walked through the door that he’d be able to tell if they were going to be a permanent patient at Port Haven. When Will Graham had been ushered into Port Haven under Alana’s fretful, attentive wing, Charlie found himself being stumped for the first time in years. The Omega was cold and blank and looked as if he had seen the icy planes of Hell and simply given a sigh before he strolled through them. 

Will Graham was an anomaly; it unnerved Charlie. 

Most of the blank Omegas Charlie saw admitted to Port Haven had that kind of emptiness that was the result of being so broken there was no other option for them but to shut down. They were the ones that sat in the day room blinking in their arm chairs, had to be spoon fed their meals in the dining room and had to be lead by the hand to and from their pointless therapy sessions. Charlie knew they still had to persevere with these Omegas, had to at least attempt therapy with them, but Omegas that damaged simply sat in their chair in the circle and stared into space. They were catatonic, empty shells and unreachable and the kindest thing for them was to live out the rest of their days in peace. 

Will Graham was not one of the Omegas with a dull scent and glazed over eyes. 

A second personal category that Charlie had created was for the Omegas that came in kicking and screaming and tearing their hair out. They cried in their sleep and their bedrooms were locked at night and there were no sharp objects allowed near them. They were angry or inconsolable during therapy and often attempted to fight other patients and staff. These were the Omegas that snarled and swore at the nurses and Dr. Bloom on their bad days and sobbed and lamented to them on their good days. 

Will Graham was not one of the Omegas who was prescribed sedatives on a regular basis and constantly sported red, watery eyes. 

There were Omegas in between, of course. There were Omegas that tried to strip naked and work their hands into the trousers of orderlies or nurses and asked with purring tongues if they could have a cock to gag themselves on. There were Omegas that smiled too much and bit their nails and never stayed still for more than two minutes and would laugh hysterically before bursting into shrieking tears when asked about their abusers. There were Omegas that tried to run away and insisted they didn’t need to be here and demanded to be returned to their mates, despite the fact their mates were the reason they were at Port Haven in the first place. 

Will Graham was not one of the Omegas either. 

Will Graham was entirely in his own category. He was polite and did what he was asked. They had to fight with him to eat, but that had been getting better recently. He was on a modest amount of medication in comparison to the other patients. He’d never attacked a nurse – other than the episode he’d had where he’d hallucinated a nurse was his mate and struck her across the face – and it was a rare sight to see him interact with the other Omegas. He didn’t talk in therapy unless spoken to and always gave clipped, cynical answers. They never had to force him into his shower as they did with some Omegas who refused to wash and he never moaned for his mate or woke up screaming in the night. 

Which was why Charlie was so confused to see him simply stood in the day room at three o’clock in the morning as he did his hourly walk of Port Haven on his night shift. 

All of the lights were on, blaring through the glass walls of the day room. He was stood with his back to the door, and the night was black outside, making his reflection stark in the glass walls facing the garden. Charlie hesitated, watching him. Will simply stood, dressed in a sweat drenched t-shirt and boxers, his hands hanging loosely by his sides. Then he turned and began to walk from each arm chair in the day room, touch it, and then move on. He did the same with the couches, and the book cases and the piano. 

Charlie opened the door carefully and stepped inside. “Will? What are you doing out of bed?” 

“ – and then we can paint the nursery yellow, can’t we?” Will was saying in a clear, smooth voice. “That will a nice colour for the baby.” 

“Will?” 

“No, no Mason I’m not painting it red. Red is too aggressive, I want the nursery to be bright and happy.” 

“Are you awake Will?” Charlie called out, stepping even closer. 

“And when the baby’s older we can paint their bedroom whatever colour they want. That will be nice, won’t it?” 

“Christ,” Charlie mumbled under his breath, fumbling in his pocket to check there was a shot of emergency sedative ready in case Will got violent. 

“And I want another baby as soon as I go into my heat after this one is born. You’d like that too, hmm?” Will continued to babble into the day room. “Mason, I can’t promise they’ll all be Alphas.” 

Will stopped by the glass walls facing the garden again, his hands cupping his flat, empty stomach and sighing wistfully. “And then we can take them to Louisiana to see my dad. I’ll teach them to fish and take them out on the boat and you and my dad can sit on the porch and drink whiskey. Doesn’t that sound great?” 

“Will, I’m going to take you back to your room now,” Charlie announced the sleep walking boy, getting closer to him. “You’re sleepwalking.”

“I can’t wait to tell my dad we’re expecting,” Will said to the window, his voice sounding so pleased despite the fact his face was like a stone and his eyes were somewhere else. “He’s going to be so happy, he’ll be a great grandfather.” 

When Charlie’s hand gently curled around Will’s elbow the Omega didn’t even seem to feel it. He just continued to talk. 

“Maybe I can have a baby with Hannibal too,” Will mused, his face expressionless still but his voice so full of wonder. “Do you think me and Hannibal would be good together? No? Why not?” 

The mention of Dr. Lecter’s name made Charlie look over sharply to Will. Did Will have some sort of hidden attraction to the Alpha or was this just nonsense sleep talk? 

“Well I think Dr. Lecter is wonderful. He would be much a better mate than you Mason. Maybe after the baby is born I’ll just let you have it and I’ll ask Hannibal to mate me. He’d let me go live with him, I know he would.” 

Charlie pressed his lips together tightly as he guided Will back to his bedroom. 

“You only ever wanted me for an heir anyway, those were your exact words,” Will muttered to his dream Mason. “So if I give you one, you’ll let me go and mate with Hannibal, won’t you?” 

Charlie pushed Will’s bedroom door handle down swiftly. 

“It doesn’t matter that you bought me, that doesn’t mean you get to keep me,” Will continued to sigh. 

Charlie eased him back down into the bed. 

The minute Will’s head hit the pillow, his open glassy eyes blinked very briefly. Then he bolted up right, a fresh wave of sweat pouring down his hair line and his chest heaving with breaths as if he’d just spent too long under water. 

“Where am -”

Will cut himself short, staring around at the darkened bedroom as realisation slowly dawned on him. Charlie set his face into an expression of sympathy. 

“It’s alright Will, you’re at Port Haven,” Charlie soothed him. “You were sleep walking. I found you in the day room and I’ve brought you back to bed. Is there anything I can get you? Something to help you sleep”?” 

“No,” Will mumbled, turning his gaze down immediately as he blushed. “No more pills.” 

“Alright,” Charlie sighed. “I’ll have to make a report you were sleep walking and let Dr. Bloom know in the morning. Are you sure there’s nothing I can get you?” 

“I’m fine thank you,” Will replied carefully, still refusing to look up. “Good night.” 

“Sleep well, Will,” Charlie murmured. 

When the nurse left, Will got up again, drew the curtains and sat in the arm chair by the window until the sun came up. 

 

“Have you slept at all Will? You look... I’m not sure exhausted is the word for it.” 

“I’m fine Dr. Bloom.” 

“I thought you were past lying to me. Change your mind?” 

“I am fine. I’m not anything less, anything more. I’m completely _fine_.” 

Alana regarded the purple crescent moons under Will’s eyes and the drained pallor of his skin and decided he looked absolutely _grey_. 

“I think a light sedative to help you sleep without disturbance is a good idea Will.” 

“I don’t want any more medication,” the Omega flatly shot back at her, his eyes fixed on his knees and utterly blank. 

“I’m prescribing it for your sake Will, and under my professional opinion as your psychiatrist.” 

“I won’t take it.” 

“Do you _want_ to sleep walk Will? This is the second time this has happened now, but last night sounded extreme. Nurse Fitz told me about it, told me all the things you were saying whilst you were sleep walking.” 

“It’s nothing. It’ll pass, like everything else.”

“I really think it would be a good idea Will,” Alana replied firmly, her face tight. “It’s only to help you sleep through the night without getting up and wandering.”

“I don’t want more medication.” 

“It would only be to help you settle into a more regulated sleeping pattern,” Alana argued. “I understand your reluctance Will, but I do think this will help you.” 

“I’m sleep walking because I have three years worth of skeletons in my closet ranging from fetus sized to full grown Alpha. Don’t tell me that sedatives will stop me sleep walking Dr. Bloom.” 

Alana tried not to show that she was taken aback by the cold, biting response. Will seemed to have reverted back to the icy bluntness he had presented her with when he first arrived at Port Haven, and it made something in the back of her mind break out into a panicked sweat to see that months of hard work could be flaking away. 

“What are you so angry about Will?” she asked softly, frowning ever so slightly. “You don’t seem yourself today. You seem on edge.” 

“I am always on edge.” 

“Well, what’s making you more on edge than usual then?” 

“I’m going to go into heat in a few weeks and I am terrified,” Will admitted openly, finally meeting her eyes. “My body is just responding to the panic that I keep pushing back.” 

“Do you feel you may have another severe panic attack if you fully acknowledge you’ll be going into heat soon?” 

“I’ll go into a panic attack and I won’t come out of it until my heat is done. I don’t want it to happen.” 

“It’s time to start addressing it though Will,” Alana told him gently, attempting to edge him into it like a mother bird nudging a baby bird out of the nest for the first time. “Your heat is inevitable.” 

“I’m worried I might shut down,” Will confessed. “I... when I had my heats with Mason, I used to just switch off whilst I was in pre heat. It was like my mind just packed its bags and left the minute I went into pre heat because I just couldn’t handle my heat. I’m worried it will happen again.” 

“You might find you don’t go into that state,” Alana suggested. “You might find that because there are no threats to you here at Port Haven and you feel safer here, your mind doesn’t ‘switch off’. 

“It will,” he softly insisted. “Mason might not be here to force himself on me when my heat starts but he’s still there when I shut my eyes. Even if our bond is only hanging on by a thread I still feel it pulling at me. My insides still hurt from what he did to me; it’s plastered all over my innards and my mind.” 

“We can give you temporary pain relief during your heat. I’ll make sure there are nurses checking you every hour and that we do everything we can to make you comfortable.” 

“Is it possible to be comfortable during a heat even if you’re not traumatised?” Will asked sourly. “Or are you going to lie to me and tell me that happily bonded Omegas have completely stress free heats?” 

“There are other options, but I doubt you want to hear them.” 

“Like what?” 

“There are centres for Omegas who are un-bonded and don’t wish to spend their heat alone, for whatever reason. There are voluntary Betas and Alphas who get Omegas through their heats. It’s all very clinical and strictly professional. All volunteers have to have strict health and security back ground checks and are either infertile or have had vasectomies. Even then they’re required to use birth control.” 

“I don’t know what would happen if a stranger tried to touch me during my heat.”

“Which is why I don’t think it would be a good idea for you. At all,” Alana replied with a shudder. 

“Is there nothing else?” 

“Some of the Omegas here that aren’t using suppressants get through their heats with toys,” Alana told him plainly, watching Will cringe at the word ‘toys’. 

“Right.” 

Silence. 

“My options are feeling pretty limited right now,” Will told her, his voice threatening to begin shaking. “I don’t... what do I do?” 

“Only you can make that decision.” 

“I’m not asking you to decide for me, I just...” Will sighed, the frustration dripping from his voice. “I’m asking for advice.” 

“Well, if I was an Omega,” Alana began, “and I was in your situation and had gone through what you have, I would want to stay here, take pain relief that was on offer and most likely end up using toys.” 

“Fuck sake, that is not an image I want in my head,” Will groaned, rubbing the heels of his hands into his eyes. 

“You did ask.” 

“I need a while to think about it,” Will mumbled. “It’s going to be painful either way.” 

“Of course Will,” Alana murmured gently, her eyes sympathetic. “I know this isn’t easy for you.” 

“I want to talk to Margot about it. She’s the only other Omega I know.” 

“Or maybe you could talk to the other patients here? If you got to know them you might not feel so confused, it could be good support for you,” Alana suggested. 

“Yes, that sounds like a wonderful idea,” Will sarcastically sniped, rolling his eyes. “Let me know when they stop banging their heads against walls for long enough to have a chat with me about their heats.” 

“Will,” Alana scolded him. “That’s unfair and you know it is. The other patients here deserve just as much respect as you do.” 

Will went silent and then stared at her for a while. 

“What would happen if I went to one of those centres for Omegas who want someone to spend their heats with them? Considering I’m still seventeen?” 

Alana cleared her throat carefully. “There are certain exceptions. Between the ages of sixteen and eighteen the official guardian of the Omega has to sign paperwork declaring they consent to it, along with extra security measures like extremely detailed background checks on the Beta or Alpha.” 

“And you’re my official guardian.” 

“Yes.”

“And they’re all sterile? And clean?” 

“Yes, they’re required to be by law. It’s not a seedy brothel house, it’s more like a small hospital.” 

“I heard of those places but I never paid them much attention; I always thought I was a Beta so I didn’t exactly educate myself about the options available.” 

“Are you considering this option seriously?” Alana asked with a frown. 

Will shrugged. “Maybe.” 

“Correct me if I’m wrong,” Alana slowly said, “but you’ve not exactly been discreet about the fact you can’t stand the thought of another person touching you, let alone spending heat with you.” 

“Look at it this way Dr. Bloom,” Will sighed. “This might be a good thing for me. Maybe if I went and I just tried it, it might not be so awful. What if this pushes me past all these insecurities and it’s like, I don’t know, a cure or something? I go and spend my heat with someone else and it’ll help me get over Mason?” 

Alana remained silent. 

“Maybe if I do this I might be able to shake someone’s hand without breaking out into a nervous sweat because I’m terrified they’re going to break my jaw and rape me.” 

“How will you even do this in the first place though Will? You just said yourself, you can’t even stand the most simple interaction or touch; how will you be able to spend your heat with someone and be that intimate when you can’t even shake someone’s hand?” 

“I’m good at dissociating Dr. Bloom.” 

Before Alana could respond, there was a frantic knocking on her door. It burst open, a frazzled looking orderly appearing. 

“Dr. Bloom, you need to come quickly,” she panted. “Theresa’s broken into the medication room again and locked herself in, she’s threatening to overdose and -”

“I’m coming.” 

Will blinked and suddenly he was alone in Alana’s office, the door wide open as he stared at the space the Beta had been. 

So much for therapy. 

 

Margot answered straight away when he rang. 

“Have you ever been to one of those centres where Omegas can spend their heats with volunteers?” 

“Hello to you too,” Margot grumbled, her voice sounding tired. 

“Sorry.” 

There was a sigh on the other end of the line and Will shivered in the cooling November air of Port Haven’s garden, trailing along the little garden paths snaking between the frost bitten grass. 

“Yes, I have.” 

“What was it like?” Will asked quietly, honestly. 

“It...helped.” 

“Mmm.” 

“What’s this about Will?” Margot asked tersely. 

“My heat is coming up in December. I don’t know what to do.” 

“And you want to try an Omega Heat Facility?”

“I’m thinking about it.” 

“But... I thought, after Mason...” 

“I don’t know Margot. I’m starting to wonder if it’ll help. Maybe it’s what I need to snap myself out of this, or maybe it’ll go horribly wrong and I’ll end up scarred.” 

“You already are Will.” 

“So you think it’s a bad idea?” 

“I think it’s an odd idea. I’m not going to tell you what to do, I can only tell you about my own experience. It was all very efficient and professional. It was awkward at first, because I was nervous, but the... the Beta spending my heat with me was kind. It made it a lot easier. I only ever went once, before Mason started making me take heat suppressants.” 

“I don’t even want to hear the word suppressants,” Will groaned. “The whole reason I’m in this mess is because my body hates me.” 

“I’d rather have you struggling with your heats than having a heart attack or becoming brain dead,” Margot quipped. “I know it’s scary Will but the alternative is more terrifying.” 

“I think I could do with being brain dead.” 

“Don’t say that.” 

“I’m sorry.” 

“You’re not.” 

“No, I’m not.” 

Margot went silent and then released a sigh eventually. “What does Alana think?” 

“She wants me to spend my heat here, drugged up on pain relief with a dildo in my fucking ass.” 

Will could almost hear Margot wincing. “Wow.” 

“Mmm,” Will replied. “I’d rather be put in a medically induced coma than spend five days crying into my pillow because I can’t get what I need from a stupid fucking sex toy that’s supposed to mimic a knot.” 

“I agree,” Margot replied dryly. “Betas go on about it as if sex toys can come anywhere close to being enough. It’s like telling Mozart he’s got a grand piano and an entire orchestra at his disposal when you give him a broken keyboard.” 

Will laughed. 

“Do you think you’ll freak out if you go to an Omega Heat Centre?” Margot asked, concerned. 

Will shuffled his feet, kicking lightly at a small pebble in his path. “Maybe. Maybe not. Who can say how I’ll behave once I go into heat.” 

“You can always back out of it if you change your mind,” Margot told him. “All parties have to sign paperwork before it happens that the Omega is free to end the arrangement at any time. You could be right in the middle of taking a knot and decide you want to end it and there’s nothing they can do but oblige.” 

“Jeez Margot,” Will grumbled. “Thanks for the graphic description.” 

“I’m just being honest,” Margot replied and Will could imagine her shrugging. “I thought it would be important for you to know. Have you spoken to Hannibal about it?” 

Will went silent. 

“I’ll take that as a no then,” Margot muttered. “Are you going to tell him you’re thinking about it?” 

“No. I don’t think I could even if I wanted to.” 

“Why not? It’s none of his business how you decide to spend your heats.” 

“Well it’s just that... you know, he’s an Alpha and I don’t know how comfortable I am talking about my heats with him and...” 

“Is that the real reason? Or the reason you’re telling me to cover up the fact you have feelings for him?” 

Will gritted his teeth and glared at a pile of dead, drying leaves near his feet. “I have feelings for Hannibal as a friend Margot, how many times do I have to keep telling you?” 

“You’ll have to keep telling me that until you break and admit that you’ve been attracted to him all this time and that I’m right.” 

“Oh, and will you be admitting to fucking Alana any time soon then?” 

“Oh, I don’t care about that anymore. I’ve been keeping that pretence up for months now.” 

“So you are then? Fucking her?” 

“Of course I am.” 

“Gross, Margot,” Will mumbled at the pile of leaves. 

“Nothing gross about it. We’re great together, in every way. What is gross, though, is the fact your forty seven year old ‘friend’ wants to get you into bed.” 

“Would it be gross if I was eighteen?” Will snapped at her. 

“It would be legally gross, so less gross. It would be acceptable gross. Still weird, but at least he couldn’t get done for statutory rape.” 

“But it would be ok for a random forty seven year old Beta or Alpha to spend my heat with me just because Alana’s signature is on a few pieces of paper?” 

“Hmm. You’ve got me there. It wouldn’t be ok, of course, but in that case no one would be screaming ‘sexual predator’ or ‘child molester’ because Alana would consent to it and there are so many security measures in place at Omega Heat Facilities.” 

“This is bullshit,” Will growled. 

“Just admit you have feelings for him Will.” 

Will pursued his lips and straightened his spine. “I have to go. I’ll speak to you later Margot. Thanks for the advice.” 

Will hung up before she could utter another word, stuffing his phone angrily back into his pockets and stomping back into Port Haven to brace himself for his long, tedious group therapy. 

 

“And how did that make you feel Jane?” 

Will was sick of hearing about feelings. 

“Well, I-I felt so guilty,” Jane, the Omega in question stuttered. “I just felt like the world’s worst mate.” 

“And is that why you tried to do what you did?” the nurse leading the session asked. 

“No, no! I only went swimming, silly! Honestly, I keep telling everyone this, but no one seems to listen!” Jane smiled a little too widely, her eyes growing hysterical. 

The nurse, Karen, thinned her lips. “Jane, you walked into the lake at the bottom of your house carrying breeze blocks that were tied to your ankles.” 

Jane’s lips twitched. “I went swimming.” 

The nurse gave her a long look before looking around the circle of Omegas. “Does anyone have anything to say to Jane about how she was feeling? Any thoughts on why she felt like she did?” 

“Should have found a better way to do it,” one Omega muttered, a surly faced young man who constantly had bandages around his wrists. “One that wasn’t so obvious.” 

“Yes, because slitting your wrists in a restaurant toilet wasn’t obvious Liam,” Jane snapped back, baring her teeth. 

Will just watched the scene in amusement. 

“At least he didn’t have any kids to think about, you selfish whore,” another Omega griped at her. “You have four. Or you did, anyway, social services won’t let you see them now.” 

Karen looked flustered. “Wesley, that is really not an appropriate thing to say to Jane. Apologise to her immediately.” 

“Why should I? Why should I say sorry to her when she got to have kids and then decided to try and fucking kill herself whilst I got landed with a body incapable of carrying children?!” Wesley seethed. 

“You poisoned your mate and killed him,” Liam scoffed back at Wesley. “Some Omega you are.” 

“He deserved it,” Wesley spat back. “He was going to leave me once the doctors told us I was infertile.” 

Will began to zone out. It carried on like that for the next few minutes, the Omegas snapping and growling at each other whilst Karen tried to take back control of the session. 

“ – well at least I could protect my children, unlike _him_ ,” a voice shouted. 

Will raised his head slowly. It wasn’t often that the rest of the group’s violent outbursts turned on him, but it happened now and then. Apparently today was one of those days. 

“Yeah, you heard me.” 

The voice came from a pretty, blonde Omega with chocolate brown eyes and a mean set to her shoulders. 

“He couldn’t even protect his newborn son, what sort of mother is that? To think he just let his Alpha _murder_ his son -”

“You do not know a single thing about my situation. Shut your mouth,” Will cut her off, the monotone of his voice clearly making her squirm. 

“How could you have just sat there and let it happen?” she sneered. 

“I was given life threatening amounts of morphine and sedative and kept in a double locked room that could only be opened from the outside,” Will replied flatly. “I tried. I tried to get out, believe me.” 

She looked away, uncomfortable. “I still think you’re a bad mother.” 

“Yes,” Will replied. “I do too.” 

“Will, your situation was entirely the fault of others,” Karen reprimanded him, startled at the Omega’s participation. “You know that.” 

Will just looked at her blankly before settling his eyes on the blonde Omega opposite him in the circle that had called him a bad mother. He stared at her as he would do when he was staring at his hands or knees or feet when Alana or any other member of staff at Port Haven spoke to him. He stared at her like he had tunnel vision and did not take his eyes off of her other than to blink. She looked like she wanted the ground to swallow her up by the end of the group session. 

Will tried not to think too much about how much her words burned. _You’re a bad mother_. 

 

Monday finally arrived and Will found himself half tempted to tell Alana he didn’t want to see Hannibal he was that nervous. But then he remembered the feel of Hannibal’s fists in his hair and his mouth on his pulse and the way he worked Will’s body as if he was playing an instrument he’d been creating music with all his life. 

Hannibal came to his room for this meeting. 

“Will,” he smiled, as soon as he saw the Omega. 

Will did not smile back. “Hello Hannibal.” 

His scent held notes of distress and he wouldn’t meet Hannibal’s eyes. 

“What’s wrong?” he asked carefully, slowly. 

“Nothing. Just a bad day.” 

Hannibal went to join him by sitting in the second arm chair by the window. “Anything in particular that’s making it a bad day?” 

“I’ve started sleep walking and another patient called me a bad mother for letting Mason kill Jasper in group therapy the other day. It’s stuck in my head like a looping video.” 

“Well,” Hannibal said grimly, “which one would you like to talk about first?” 

Will didn’t look at him. He kept his eyes on the gardener below them raking up dead leaves. “Neither. I want to talk about what happened on Friday.”

“Of course,” Hannibal replied smoothly. “I wanted to say thank you again for joining me. I enjoyed your company immensely.”

“Clearly.” 

“Will, if there is something you’d like to tell me, please do.” 

“What do you want from me?” Will sighed, flickering his gaze to Hannibal for the briefest moment. “Truthfully. I don’t want any dressed up words or skipping around questions or indirect answers.” 

Hannibal drew in a deep breath, watching Will. He remained silent and did not move his eyes from the Omega. The silence began to clearly frustrate him and his beautiful face turned stormy. 

“What do you want Hannibal? Do you want a quick fuck and then to pretend this never happened? Or do you want me in a long term sense?” 

“I’m not interested in a fleeting sexual experience with you.” 

“So you’re interested in what then? Spending heats with me? Mating? Bonding? Moving me into you big fancy house and parading me around with my mating bite on display? _Children_?” 

“I want whatever you will graciously give me. Whether that is simply friendship and nothing more than a kiss being kept firmly in the past or a full, vibrant future. I will take whatever you give me Will, because I starve for you. I will take however much you wish to let me have.” 

“What if I told you I never want to see you again?” Will asked darkly. “What if I told you to leave and never come back?” 

“Would it make you happy if I did that?” 

Will glared at him. “Would you do it?” 

“If it was what you wanted.” 

“You’d pester Alana for updates about me all the time.” 

“Naturally. It would be the only salve to spread on my wounds.” 

“Do you presume I would _wound_ you Dr. Lecter?” 

“I presume that you will always act with your heart.” 

Will scoffed and looked away again. “Stop dodging.” 

“The heart is not a rational organ Will,” Hannibal murmured softly, drinking in the Omega bathed in pale, cold November sunlight. “If you were ever to hurt me it would be an action carried out purely by what you feel to be right. I could not blame you for that.” 

“So I’m a silly, irrational Omega now then?” 

“No. You are full of strength and passion and when I think of you I want to consume every look you deign to even give me because I crave your attention and your presence. If anything, it is me who is the irrational one.”

“I don’t feel very rational.” 

“Attraction has its side effects unfortunately.” 

“What if this is just my body pushing me into having feelings for you because you’re the _only_ Alpha I’ve been exposed to since I lost my child and my mate? What if this is just a purely biological hiccup caused by my body trying to compensate for what I’ve lost?” 

“Do you really believe that? Or is it a mere speculation?” 

“I don’t know what I believe. I just know I want you to put me on my bed and rip my clothes off and make me scream.” 

Hannibal’s breath hitched in his throat. “Will.” 

“I want you to fuck me against the wall and call me names in languages I don’t understand and give me bruises that everyone will see,” Will hissed, his eyes shining as they penetrated the doctor. “I want your teeth in my neck and your knot inside of me Hannibal.” 

“Will,” Hannibal growled again. “Please do not describe scenarios that I cannot make a reality.” 

“Why couldn’t you make it a reality?” Will purred, slipping out of his chair. “You could put your hands around my throat right now Dr. Lecter, take me on the floor and I would make such lovely noises for you.” 

“This is cruel of you Will,” Hannibal snarled, gripping the arms of his chair too tightly. 

Will hovered above him. He placed one leg between the side of Hannibal’s right thigh the chair. “Tell me what’s stopping you.” 

“We are at Port Haven,” Hannibal answered. “There are nurses and orderlies and Alana roaming about. It would be stupid to believe we wouldn’t get caught.” 

Will’s leg slipped away from the chair and Hannibal wanted to cry at the loss. 

“I can be quiet Dr. Lecter,” Will breathed. “Can’t you?” 

He sank to his knees and Hannibal wanted to snarl. He settled himself between Hannibal’s thighs, resting his head against strong, toned muscle that lay beneath the fine, sleek material of his suit pants. Will stared up at him innocently as his head rested to the side, distorting his face a little. Another hand crept up Hannibal’s other leg, grazing against his ankle, sliding up his calf and circling his knee slowly. 

“Anybody could walk in. There are no locks on your door.” 

“Have they ever interrupted us before?” Will mouthed against his thigh, his lips parting to rub against his suit. 

“That is beside the point and you know it is,” Hannibal hissed. He was gripping the arms of the chair so tightly Will thought the wood might splinter. 

“No one will disturb us.” 

A hand appeared to trace down the line of Hannibal’s zipper at the front of his trousers. Hannibal growled in warning, but the Omega maintained his soft, innocent gaze as he stared up at him, his pale, scarred hand running up and down his crotch with light fingers. Barely there, but enough to feel the pressure. 

“There is only so much self restraint I have,” Hannibal warned him. “And I do not believe this is an action you wish to take Will, taking into account that you are still mourning and grieving and going through a difficult period.” 

“Please, Hannibal,” Will whispered softly, his eyes so round and blue. 

Hannibal bit back the groan in his throat at Will’s plea, the whole thing like something he’d dreamed up. Will, between his knees, begging for him. Hannibal wondered how much more he could get Will to beg. 

“You haven’t thought this through,” Hannibal told him, unable to help the hand that came to the back of Will’s curls, petting him heavily. “I fear you do not really want this Will, and are only acting out of confusion and misplaced grief.” 

“But you said,” Will murmured breathily. “You said however much I’ll give you, you’ll take it. You said you want me to have it _all_.” 

“Has anyone ever told you that you are an extremely manipulative creature?” Hannibal muttered, his breathing harsh and his eyes gleaming. 

“How do you think I survived Muskrat Farm?” 

Before Hannibal could answer, Will squeezed him slowly through his trousers. Hannibal’s nostrils flared and his lip curled back, a low growl brewing in the back of his throat in warning. 

“I am concerned you do not truly want this,” Hannibal continued, the hand in Will’s hair tightening suddenly. It made Will gasp. 

“Dr. Lecter,” the Omega half moaned into Hannibal’s inner thigh. “I _want_ you. You’ve made it quite clear you want me too, so why try to push this away?”

“Because we are in an unlocked room in an Omega Psychiatric Facility where a nurse could walk in and see us, report me to the police and I would never see you again,” Hannibal hissed. “I value your presence in my future far more than this moment of potential pleasure. Do not jeopardise our future Will.” 

Will’s face went blank and he withdrew from Hannibal, moving like water as he vanished from the warm heat between Hannibal’s legs back to his chair. 

“So you want the house and the white picket fence and the rosy cheeked children Hannibal?” Will asked, his voice oddly blank. 

“I won’t take advantage of you,” Hannibal told him flatly, bristling. “You are still a minor in the eyes of the law. If someone were to discover we had engaged in any sort of sexual activity, it would ruin what we could have once you are older. I won’t allow myself to lose a future I could have with you because I could not wait two months.” 

“Is that it? You won’t fuck me because I’m not legally an adult yet?” 

“It is one of my reasons. I will also not take this further until you are eighteen because I need to be sure that you are not binding yourself to me in a desperate attempt to separate yourself from Mason. I want with every fibre of my being to save you, to help you. I crave to fix this all for you. But I will not let you become anything more than what we are now if you are dissociating with your grief over Mason and misplacing those feelings on your attraction to me. I’m not second guessing your attraction to me whatsoever; I know that you want me to mount you on all fours every chance you get but I need more than your physical need for me. I need your mind to well and truly want me too.” 

The whine slipped helplessly from Will’s throat. 

“Come here Will,” Hannibal sighed, well aware he was manipulating their pheromones and their natural Alpha Omega status. 

Will scrambled into his neck. Hannibal wrapped his arms around him, pushing his own face into Will’s neck and inhaling as much of his scent as possible. He smelt like the ocean, like salt sea air and crashing waves and sharp cliff edges and white foam and winds that tore your skin open. It was wonderful. Hannibal purred as Will nuzzled his face against his throat, gripping his suit. He stroked the Omega’s spine soothingly. Will let out a high, keening sound of want. 

“Ssh,” Hannibal breathed out against his ear, making him shudder. “Precious, wild thing. You understand me Will, don’t you? You understand why I must keep us at this place until you’re ready?” 

“I’m ready _now_ ,” Will hissed. 

“No, darling, you’re not,” Hannibal soothed him. “But soon. So soon; just two more months and then it will not matter what anyone thinks or says.” 

“Alana will hate us.” 

“She could never hate you. She will be angry at me, but she will become accustomed to it over time. It will be easier for her to accept at some point.” 

“I’m not doing this because I’m messed up over Mason,” Will hummed against his throat, lips brushing over Hannibal’s skin. “I’ll be the first one to admit he fucked my head up. But that doesn’t mean I’m not capable of separating it from what I feel about you. I would have wanted you no matter what had happened in my life Hannibal. I would have wanted you no matter who I had been. It’s one of the only things I’ve ever been certain of.” 

“You still need more time Will,” Hannibal disagreed gently. “I won’t force this. It’s too important to me.” 

“I don’t need any more time,” Will insisted, sounding like he was going to cry. “It hurts to even think about waiting Hannibal.” 

“Two months will have passed before you know it, my dearest Will.” 

Hannibal smiled warmly, allowing himself to press soothing little kisses against Will’s neck and jaw and cheeks. It made the Omega purr and contort with happy pleasure in his arms and Hannibal didn’t think he’d ever seen a more satisfying sight. Although, Peter Rosenthal’s screams had been immensely pleasurable. The blood that pumped from his wrists after Hannibal had removed his hands was wonderful. He’d harvested Peter’s intestines and heart and tongue, being greedy and letting himself taking an entire leg too. He’d be able to make such a marvellous extent of dishes with all the meat. He planned on feeding Will the first lot of Peter’s body. He’d make him the most wonderful cuts of steak from the Alpha’s thigh. 

He’d left Peter’s body on the roof of a well known brothel in the seedier area of Baltimore. He’d found out the man regularly visited the brothel, and more than one Omega had ended up in hospital after his visit. He had removed the man’s genitalia and placed the foul collection of body parts in his bleeding, tongue-less mouth. He was speared on a sharp pole through his neck, where an Omega’s mating gland would typically be and his hands had been speared through the pole before he’d hauled the Alpha’s body up onto the spike. 

Not Hannibal’s finest work, but it had pleased him nonetheless. 

 

Margot came to visit him a few days after Hannibal had been to see him. Alana had lingered, as she usually did, and had looked at the Omega as if she was her own personal sun. Margot’s eyes oozed affection. Will jokingly made sick noises and they had both glowered at him. 

“I think I’ve made my mind up about my heat,” Will told Margot when they were alone. 

“You’re going to the heat centre?” 

“I’m going to try it.” 

“Does Alana know yet?”

“Not yet,” Will sighed. “I wanted to tell her after I’d spoken to you. It’s easier to tell you. It’s easier to tell you everything. You’re the only one that really knows anything about me at all.” 

“Not entirely true Will,” Margot murmured, her eyes dark. “But knowing the darker side of someone’s soul does make it feel as though you know everything about them. It’s such a vast place.” 

“It is,” Will agreed. “It’s slightly less overwhelming I’m not alone in the dark though. I don’t know what I’d do if you weren’t walking next to me in that dark.” 

“I feel the same. I think the whole world would crash down around me if I was trying to navigate my way through the night on my own.” 

“We would go down together, wouldn’t we?” Will asked, although it wasn’t a question. It was a statement, an observation. 

“We would. If they ever found out I would be by your side through it all. This is my darkness just as much as it’s yours.” 

They lapsed into fond, appreciative silence then, as they often did. It happened a lot when they had been at Muskrat Farm together. Sometimes there were just no words to say but they both understood perfectly what each other was thinking. They acknowledged that there was no point in voicing aloud Mason’s sickness and their own terror. 

“I kissed Hannibal.” 

“When?” 

“Last Friday, when he took me to the opera.” 

“And here I was, thinking you had been at each other’s throats long before that. You held out a while.”

“He won’t... won’t take it any further until I’m eighteen.” 

“Well I appreciate he’s doing that at least,” Margot said dryly. “He’s not too knot-blind then.” 

“Margot,” Will grumped, glaring at her. “He doesn’t want to risk never seeing me again and he wants to make sure I’m... that I’m not, you know. Still messed up over your brother.” 

“And what do you want?” 

“I want everything all at once.” 

“Do you love him?” 

“I don’t know. I don’t think so,” Will swallowed. “But I know that I will. One day I’m going to wake up and it’s going to hit me like a brick wall that I love him. It feels like a premonition.” 

Margot hummed. “I think I’m starting to feel like that about Alana. I think I might already be there, to be honest. I want her around every day and it’s... difficult when she’s not.” 

“Don’t you hate being an Omega?” 

“I hate that we form such deep, life-long attachments,” Margot muttered. “But I don’t hate that about my attachment to Alana. I hated it about Mason, and my father. I don’t hate it about you.” 

There was quiet between them again for a while and Will thought about Margot alone in her vast mansion on Muskrat Farm. He thought about her wandering aimlessly, staring at the outhouse where she’d dumped Mason’s body into the pit of his savage pigs and the bonfire of blood soaked evidence. Then he thought about Margot turning away from the window and smiling at Alana calling her name. 

It comforted him. 

“Does Hannibal know you’re going to go to the heat centre?” Margot asked carefully. 

“No.” 

“You won’t tell him, will you?” 

“I can’t. Not until after anyway. He’d stop me from going if he knew what I was going to do. I can’t ask Alana to lie to him about where I am either, she’ll find it strange if I want to keep it a secret from him. She’ll get suspicious.” 

“You’d rather it was him, wouldn’t you? Rather he could be there for your first heat.”

Will smiled but looked in pain. “I want that more than anything. But he won’t. And I won’t be able to do it on my own and they won’t sedate me into a coma for five days. I can’t take suppressants. I don’t know what else to do. It would be too painful to stay here and go through it on my own, especially after spending every heat with Mason. The nurses here say heats are always more intense after you’ve had children as well, especially the first heat after birth.” 

“He’ll be hurt,” Margot informed him. “But if he’s worth anything he will accept it, at some point.”

Will just nodded, pressing his lips together finally. He just hoped Hannibal would still want him afterwards. He wished for it so intensely it made him feel sick. Going through heat on his own at the age of fourteen strapped to a bed in an empty room had near killed him. 

He wouldn’t do it again.


	11. Eleventh

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will's heat approaches and Jack has another fresh corpse on his hands.

Will could feel himself slipping. 

Alana noticed it and so did Margot. The other nurses and orderlies saw it. 

Will did not allow himself to answer when Hannibal called him and didn’t reply when he text him. He told Alana he did not want to see Hannibal leading up to his heat, which was only two weeks away.  
Alana had winced at the thundering expression that had crossed Hannibal’s face when she had to calmly explain to the other doctor that Will did not want to see him for their regular sessions. Hannibal’s voice had never sounded so strained when he asked why. 

“He doesn’t want to be around any Alphas in the weeks leading up to his heat,” Alana sighed. 

“And has he gone into any further detail about why he wants this?” 

“No. You know what Will is like, he only allows the smallest pieces to be divulged.” 

“My experience of Will says otherwise. He divulges large amounts of his mind to me on regular occasions.” 

“That might be the case with you Hannibal, but his relationship is different with me. I’m just following his request. To be completely honest with you, I’m not surprised he doesn’t want to be around any Alphas right now. His heats are a delicate subject, I wouldn’t take it personally.” 

_If only you knew_ , Hannibal sighed inside of his head. “Surely he must have said something else? It’s unlike him to not even answer any of my calls, out of the blue.” 

“Will’s been having a tough time again,” Alana sighed, staring at her mug of coffee that was becoming too cold to drink. “He’s been sleepwalking a lot and his heat approaching has thrown him off kilter. I’m sure once his heat is over he’ll feel like his head is a little clearer.” 

“He did not tell me he was sleepwalking.” 

Alana felt disgusted at the little flicker of smugness that burst inside her chest. She wanted to scoff at Hannibal, chastise his possessive behaviour and say _see? He doesn’t tell you everything after all_. But she did not. She would never stoop to such levels. 

“Yes,” she murmured. “The first time was very minor; he told me he just woke up stood in the corner of his room staring at the wall. The second time one of the orderlies found him wandering around the day room having a conversation with Mason. We found him in the car park one night, just sat down on the floor staring. He walks every night, but we’ve started locking his door when he goes to bed.” 

“Does he remember when he wakes up?” 

“Never. I suggested he starts taking light sedatives to keep himself asleep at night but he said he won’t take any more medication. I can barely get him to talk about it, but the nurses and orderlies sometimes hear him talking to himself from behind his door when they do their nightly rounds. I got too curious in the end and go to check on him myself most nights. I hear most of what he talks about, when he does talk. Sometimes he just stands or paces. ” 

“What does he talk about?” 

“Mainly he talks to Mason. Sometimes he talks to his children,” Alana answered carefully, her eyes guarded when they flashed to Hannibal. “And you.” 

Hannibal remained silent, keeping his gaze steady on Alana. “I see.” 

“He talks about grave yards and rivers and Paris when he talks to you.” 

Hannibal fought to stop the bright, instinctive smile that threatened to split across his face. His Will was truly wonderful. 

“And when he talks to Mason?” 

“He talks to him about the auction he brought him from, tells him he forgives him for breaking his ribs and that he doesn’t mind that he hasn’t eaten in two days. He seems to think he’s pregnant in most of his dreams; he asks Mason whether he thinks their next child will have his eyes or Mason’s hair. That he wants them to play the piano, because he never learnt to play an instrument when he was young. Things like that.” 

“Should I ask what his conversations with his children are like?” Hannibal asked grimly, pressing his lips together. 

“He cries,” Alana sighed. “He always gets upset when it seems he’s talking to his children. He tells them he loves them and misses them. That he wants to hold them.” 

“I suppose it is a small mercy he does not remember it when he wakes.” 

“I think the fact he’s going to go into heat soon is making the sleep walking more vivid. More real for him,” Alana tells him, chewing her lip. “His unconscious is going into a panic, shut down mode whilst his body prepares for heat. I imagine the parts of his mind he’s not aware of are terrified of another miscarriage, of Mason forcing himself on him. All Will has ever known of his heats is that they are five days of pain.” 

“He’s mentioned before that he does not remember his heats. That he dissociates so violently from the whole experience it’s like he closes his eyes and wakes up five days later with brief flashes of pain and the things Mason did to him.” 

“Maybe this time his mind will run away from him as usual when he goes into heat but when there’s no pain or anything to be afraid of it, it’ll come tip toeing back and he’ll remember more of it.” 

“I sincerely hope that is the case Alana.” 

 

 

Will had been expecting Alana to look beyond baffled when he came and sat down in her office for his daily session with her, joined by Margot this time, the other Omega sitting next to Will opposite Alana and holding his hand tightly. He’d expected her to be shocked when he announced he wanted to go to a heat centre. 

He hadn’t expected her to look so _hurt_. 

“I never thought I would ever hear you say those words,” Alana admitted after minutes of stunned silence. “I don’t know what to say Will.” 

“Then say you’ll support him and sign and the consent forms and you’ll take him when his pre-heat starts,” Margot cut in smoothly, her gaze cool on her lover. 

“This is something I would have liked to have discussed in depth with you first,” Alana resisted, shooting a wary glance between the two cold, blinking Omegas. 

Will and Margot were remarkably similar in that way, Alana had noticed. Both of them were cold, both of them possessed the ability to turn into stone the minute anyone prodded a little too deeply and they could both be so icy that it burnt skin to be in their presence. Mason Verger certainly ensured he had left his mark in the world before he departed from it. He may not have his physical, living, breathing legacy, but he got to have this; he got to leave behind two frost bitten souls. 

“That’s why I’m here now.”

Alana looked at them both. “I don’t have a say, do I? I’m going to sign those papers no matter what we say to each other about this.” 

“Yes,” Margot and Will chorused in unison. 

“Are prepared for how difficult this might be Will?” Alana asked, ensuring her voice was stern. “How you might react?” 

Will nodded. “I am. But the fact I actively want this and that I’ve been thinking about it since you told me it was an option I had makes me feel a little more at ease. It’s like you said, they’re all thoroughly checked out. No criminal convictions and they have to pass the psychological examinations by psychiatrists like you. No diseases, no chance of pregnancy. Just a medical service. And if I want to stop at any point, I can. And I will come crying back to Port Haven and let you say I told you so for the rest of my life.” 

Alana just pursued her lips and turned her gaze to the computer to find the contact number for Baltimore’s Omega Heat Clinic Facility. 

 

 

Will spent the two weeks leading up to his heat in a daze of quiet walks in Port Haven’s gardens, watching snow fall and ice wrap itself round the world around him. He went to therapy, ate his meals, stared blankly at the TV news reports and slept fitfully. He did not even look at his phone when Hannibal called. He couldn’t stand the thought of hearing the Alpha’s voice when he knew what he was going to do in the very imminent future. How he would betray Hannibal, despite the fact they were halted at the line of friends. There had been nothing between them other than that night after the opera, and yet it still felt to Will like he was crumpling his and Hannibal’s mutual trust and respect for each other up into a tiny, insignificant ball and tossing it aside. He wondered whether he would still think so much about his betrayal when he was in the middle of his heat, unable to think about much more than the sensation of being filled, again and again and again. 

If he separated himself from Hannibal, only momentarily, it would make this easier for Will. He would be able to go through with this and spend his heat at the centre with a stranger who he owed nothing to, and vice versa, without feeling like he may as well have gone and wrenched Hannibal’s heart out. He knew the Alpha cared for him - _I starve for you_ \- and knew that this would tear Hannibal into pieces when he found out what Will had done. 

But he would not be there for Will’s heat and Will knew his body well enough to know that going into a heat after everything he had been through would most likely push him past a point he would never return from. If Hannibal wanted to be able to even have Will in his future, this was the only option they had; Will told himself over and over this was the only way to for him to even be around for the potential future Hannibal had whispered of to him. 

If anything, he was doing this for the sake of the future they both wanted so badly. 

 

 

Baltimore Omega Heat Clinic Facility was a large, white building that looked like a hospital. It stood like a single white tooth amongst a shady lane of brown and redbrick buildings. It was clinical. Will liked that about it. It smelt neutral. 

Alana hadn’t said a word to him on the drive over. Will wondered if she didn’t really know what to say. He didn’t try to communicate with her, either way. He just sat there and sweated into the passenger seat of her neat hybrid and twisted his hands in his lap and he tried to breathe like he wasn’t under water. 

Will had filled out all the forms last week. Alana had written up a detailed description of Will’s physical and psychological background, provided them with his medical details and had made Will take his own psychological examination beforehand. The facility had volunteers who were more suited to dealing with Omegas like Will, Alana had told him. Volunteers who wouldn’t react badly to Will having a break down during his heat or being violent or anything other than the wanton, moaning image of an Omega the world liked to associate with heats. 

“Good afternoon Mr. Graham,” the receptionist smiled warmly at them. “Thank you for choosing to use our service. If I could just get you to fill out these forms and...”

Will zoned out as the scent neutral Beta droned on, shakily signed his signature on the lines and dots that Alana pointed out to him and tried his best to stay steady on his feet. 

He was vaguely aware of being guided through the building and into an elevator then being shown to a room that was white just like the rest of the building and smelt of completely nothing, just like everything and everyone here. The room was cold, which felt like heaven on Will’s skin, and was essentially an extremely clinical looking ensuite hotel room. 

Will stared at the blankets they’d provided for him to nest with as Will’s assigned nurse kept talking at him. He thought her name was Carla. 

“ – and here we’ve got the panic button in case you feel unable to leave the room,” Carla voiced, Will blinking at her. “Not that you will, but just as a precaution. We haven’t had anyone press a panic button for eight years now.” 

“There’s plenty of food in the kitchen area too, enough for the duration of your stay. It’s all easily made foods with plenty of protein and nutrients to keep your energy up,” Carla announced, gesturing to the compact, efficient kitchen next to the door to the bathroom. 

“If there’s anything else you need at all, there’s an intercom by the door that’s connected to the nurses’ office.”

Will blinked and managed to form a ‘thank you’. 

“And you’ll make sure to remember your medication?” Alana pressed, her eyes concerned. “You’ll ask your volunteer to make sure you do?” 

“Yes,” Will croaked. 

Carla and Alana conversed in front of him and Will zoned out again. He sat on the bed and stared ahead of him whilst Carla said something about the Alpha coming up to meet him shortly so they could get to know each other before Will slipped from his pre-heat state into a full blown heat. She’d given him a small file, told him there was a photo and basic information about the Alpha in there. 

Alana hugged him. He thought he might have said goodbye. Then he was alone. Alone for all of fifteen minutes, simply sat staring, until there was a knock at the door. By the time Will realised he was supposed to call out to tell whoever it was to come in, the door was opening already. 

The smell of Alpha stung his nostrils. 

He looked up to meet gentle, hazel eyes and nut brown skin and a thick shock of black hair. Strong nose, strong jaw and broad shoulders. He was a stereotypically attractive Alpha and it made Will want to sigh at the fact he was not faced with glowing amber eyes and cutting cheek bones and amused lips. 

“Hello Will,” the Alpha smiled softly. “I’m Thomas, but you probably already know that; they gave you my file, didn’t they?” 

“I haven’t looked at it,” Will found himself replying weakly, holding the Alpha’s gaze. “I’m sorry.” 

Thomas smiled again. “It’s alright, no need to say sorry.” 

“It would have been polite to at least read your file,” Will insisted. “I’m guessing you read mine.” 

“Honestly, it’s not a problem,” Thomas assured him. “And yes, I did.” 

“I’m wondering why you chose to be here after reading it.” 

“Did you think it would scare everyone off? That all the volunteers would read it and decide they didn’t want to do this?” 

“Something like that,” Will muttered, hugging himself. “I don’t have a great track record.” 

Thomas moved to sit on the small couch near the kitchen area, not approaching him. “Well, it didn’t scare me off. You don’t need to worry about that.” 

“Why did you choose to volunteer to spend my heat with me?” Will asked, his mouth twisting. “I can’t imagine I was first choice.” 

“Because you intrigued me. Curiosity, basically,” Thomas openly admitted. “Why did you choose to come to the heat centre?” 

“I didn’t have much choice,” Will told him, studying his laid back body language. “That sounded rude, again. I’m sorry.” 

“A lot of Omegas who come here say that. They say they didn’t have any other option,” Thomas informed him, his gaze thoughtful. “I’m not here to analyse you Will, it’s not therapy. I’m here to help you through your heat. You don’t have to explain anything to me, I already read it all in your file. I just want you to know that.” 

“My heats are difficult,” Will told him. “I don’t know how I’m going to act.”

“That’s ok. Whatever happens, we’ll deal with it when we get there.” 

“How are you being so calm about this?” 

“I like to joke I don’t have the typical Alpha testosterone because I’m infertile. Makes me less of a prick.” 

Will’s face split into a crooked smile. “That makes sense I suppose.” 

“I’ve been volunteering here for nearly a year,” Thomas informed him. 

“What made you want to do it in the first place?” 

“My mate left me. She was sleeping with my sister. I thought fuck it, volunteered here and kept coming back. I guess it’s a kind of screwed up self-therapy as well as a need to help.” 

“Oh,” Will breathed. “Did she leave because you were infertile?” 

“Bingo,” Thomas murmured, a small smile playing around his mouth. “She left my sister after a few months anyway. Word is she’s with someone else now and they’re expecting their first kid together.” 

“That’s pretty rough,” Will offered him sympathetically. “But it sounds like you’re better off without her.” 

“I am,” Thomas agreed. 

There was a small silence between them then, and Will was amazed at the lack of awkwardness. 

“Can I get you anything?” Thomas asked, rising from the sofa. “Something to eat or drink? I’m gonna make coffee.” 

“Coffee sounds good,” Will murmured, slowly getting to his feet from his place on the bed. He hovered by the sofa, watching Thomas make them coffee. 

“I know there are more safety regulations and rules than you can count,” Thomas began, talking easily as he rummaged around the cupboards. “But is there anything I should know? Anything you need of me that’s not already in all the paper work?” 

“I...” Will trailed off with a frown, not expecting the thoughtfulness of the question. “I’d prefer it if we kept this as formal as we can, which sounds stupid in itself but, I...” 

“Hey, don’t worry,” Thomas smiled. “I just thought I’d ask. Some Omegas ask me to gentle them, say certain things to them, only take them in certain positions. That kind of stuff, you know?” 

Will nodded. “I’m not great with other people touching me, which I know can’t be avoided but I’d like it if you didn’t touch me unless we’re... you know. In the middle of it. I’d like it if you didn’t touch my neck. At all.” 

“Got it,” Thomas replied cheerfully. “Absolutely minimal and necessary touching only. I can do that.” 

“Like I said before, I don’t know how I’m going to act,” Will mumbled, casting his eyes down. “So if I say anything weird or act weirdly please just ignore me. I mean, unless I get violent or whatever, but... I’m not explaining this very well.” 

“I read the file Will. I know what you’ve been through.” 

Will wrapped his hands around the mug of coffee offered to him. “Thanks.” 

The tremors were getting slowly worse and his skin felt like it would slide from his bones any moment now. 

“Thank you for doing this,” Will told him earnestly whilst he still had a grip of himself. 

“You don’t need to say thank you Will,” Thomas insisted gently. 

They drank their coffees. Will sweated. He spent twenty minutes fussily arranging the blankets into a miserable attempt of a nest, almost unsure of what to do with the pile of soft white blankets and pillows. He’d never had such luxuries with Mason. Just his clothes and bed sheets. 

Will paced and Thomas simply watched him from the couch. 

“Would you like me to try gentling you?” Thomas offered. “It might help a little.” 

“No,” Will sighed, wringing his hands. “I’m just not used to this, that’s all. The heats I’ve had in the past, I just sort of went vacant as soon as my pre-heat set in and it was like I woke up when my heat was over. I’m not used to this waiting, to...” 

“Maybe giving you coffee wasn’t such a great idea,” Thomas wondered out loud. “The caffeine probably made you a little anxious.” 

“I’m going for a shower,” Will announced. “I’ll be out in a bit.” 

Thomas just nodded and Will went into the bathroom, contemplating locking the door and then leaving it. He stripped and eased himself underneath the water. He washed himself rigorously, as he always did, scrubbing his skin to the point of being raw and turning the hot water up enough to begin to scald his skin. He allowed himself to gingerly trail his fingers to the lower half of his body, brushing them through the slick leaking from between his cheeks. He stopped himself before he could get a finger inside. 

He brushed his teeth and towelled himself off, wrapping himself in one of the stone coloured bath robes hanging in the bathroom. He returned to Thomas, skin flushed and bare footed with wet hair. 

Thomas smiled at him. 

Will sat down on the bed and glanced through his file in front of him. “You’re only twenty four?” 

“Mmm,” Thomas hummed in response. “You seemed surprised.” 

“No, I just... Thomas, I like you,” Will gritted out, wincing. “And I sound so horrible for telling you this, but the only reason I’m here is because the Alpha I wanted to spend my heat with can’t.” 

“I’m not hurt by that Will,” Thomas assured the Omega. “A lot of Omegas are in the same situation, where they can’t be with the Alphas they want to and have to come here for their heats.” 

“He’s thirty years older than me,” Will told him. “And kind of my doctor.” 

“Ah,” Thomas replied, giving Will a sympathetic look. “That does sound a little tricky.” 

“He’s making us wait until I’m eighteen for us to be together,” Will continued, confused at his openness with the Alpha. Probably all the heat hormones. 

“Being arrested for statutory rape wouldn’t go down too well for you two.” 

“No,” Will agreed, cursing the sweat that was beginning to prickle on his skin again and the pull in his groin. “I didn’t want to wait, but he insisted. I haven’t told him I’ve decided to come here for my heat.” 

Thomas gave him a grim look. “I understand that. I wouldn’t want the Alpha that was courting me to know I was spending my heat with someone else.” 

“I’m worried he’s going to hate me,” Will confessed, clenching his shaking hands into fists. “I’m worried he’ll walk away from me when I tell him I had to come here for my heat because he wouldn’t spend it with me.” 

Thomas got up and came to sit next to Will on the bed, keeping a respectful distance. “I don’t think he’ll hate you Will. And if he was the one who wanted to wait for you then I’m sure he’ll come to terms with your decision and you’ll get to be with him.” 

Will just nodded and then leant over and kissed him. 

 

 

Thomas was gentle. When Will bucked and hissed, he let him drag his nails across his skin and gracefully avoided Will’s teeth. He stroked the Omega’s sides and back carefully, pressed kisses into his hair. Will went from hot to cold, grappling to throw Thomas off of him one moment and then clinging to him like a leech the next. 

He cried a lot too. Thomas hushed him softly when he did, wiping away Will’s tears whilst the Omega babbled nonsense into his ear between small, choked sobs, begging for a knot and apologising in the same sentence. 

Will went rigid with some waves of his heat. That was when Thomas really saw how deep Will’s scars ran. The Omega would lay there, panting and sweating and whimpering but keeping his eyes closed and his arms around his face in an instinctive movement of protection whilst he held himself as still as a statue, letting Thomas move him and touch him. He didn’t emit any noises other than slow, trembling breaths and tiny whimpers. Thomas had never seen an Omega behave like that before during heat, contradicting his experience of the fervent energy and _need_ they felt so intensely. 

On the fourth day of Will’s heat, he changed. He acted more like the Omegas Thomas was used to, and it surprised him after three days of crying and apologising, snarling and fighting and blank rigidness. He kissed Thomas on the mouth like he needed air from him, his chest heaving. 

“Alpha,” he whined in Thomas’ ear. “ _Please_.” 

It made Thomas shudder to hear Will’s voice dripping with want like syrup and sugar. “ _Will_.” 

“I need more,” Will groaned into his neck. “More, I can’t - _oh_ , oh - ” 

He demanded everything of Thomas and he did his best to give it to him, but in the back of Will’s mind, a voice that sounded alarmingly like a certain Alpha doctor stonily whispered to him. _This could be so much more if it was Hannibal. He’d fuck you properly, you know he would._

Will’s last day of heat consisted of the same, keening groans and purrs and Thomas allowed himself the dangerous thought of getting to know Will better outside of the heat facility. 

It couldn’t hurt, could it? 

 

Will winced when he saw the extent of bruises and scratches he’d left on Thomas. He gingerly lifted a hand up to touch a blossoming bruise on Thomas’ chest. 

The Alpha was stood at the foot of the bed, buttoning up his shirt as he dressed. Will simply sat naked on the bed watching him. 

“I’m so sorry,” Will told him, his eyes wide. “I didn’t mean to.” 

“I know you didn’t,” Thomas soothed him. “Don’t worry, it didn’t hurt.” 

He gave up dressing himself and sat down next to Will. “Do you want to talk about it?” 

“What happened to ‘I’m not here to give you therapy Will’?” Will chided him teasingly with a weary smile. 

“Just thought I’d offer,” Thomas shrugged. “But if you’re ok, forget about it.” 

Will watched him, surprised at how he didn’t find himself fazed by his nudity as he sat next to the Alpha. The man had seen every inch of him after the five days of his heat after all. 

“I... I actually started to enjoy it, towards the end,” Will confessed. “It was strange.” 

“Uh huh,” Thomas responded. “Well, that’s good right? Means you might be able to get used to interacting physically with other people again?” 

“I hope so,” Will agreed. “Thank you for getting me through this Thomas.” 

“Thank you for letting me.” 

They regarded each other then in a calm quiet. 

“Do you feel like you betrayed him?” Thomas asked quietly, fingers brushing Will’s hair out of his face. “Your Alpha?” 

“I don’t know. I’m going to let myself face my feelings about that when I get back to Port Haven.” 

Thomas nodded and they fell into silence again. The Alpha stood, finishing buttoning his shirt and searching for his shoes. Will spotted the bath robe on the floor by the bed and slipped it onto his shoulders, tying the belt tightly around himself. He crossed his arms against his middle and looked down at his wriggling, white toes against the pale floor boards as Thomas pulled his boots on. 

“Would it be weird if I asked for your number?” 

Will looked up at him sharply. “I don’t know.” 

“I like you Will. I want to get to know you better, if you’d let me.” 

Thomas regarded the Omega, his creamy skin glowing with after-heat. He’d caressed every single scar he came across on Will’s body, astonished at the sheer number of them, biting his tongue when he saw the deeper ones. His eyes were so bright and Thomas felt like they pierced right through him, a startlingly blue blade. Thomas was cursing himself for feeling anything other than a gentle sense of amicability. This was why he was so good as a volunteer, why they invited him back every time to help other Omegas. 

He treated them respectfully, they liked him and he did _not_ form attachments to any of them. 

“You think you would, because you just spent five days knotting me,” Will said softly despite his harsh words. “But you wouldn’t like to Thomas. I can tell you now you’d regret it.” 

“Can’t I at least find out for myself?” 

“I can’t be anything to you.” 

“Because of your Alpha, I know. At least let me get to know you as your friend.” 

Will sighed, his shoulders sagging. “Maybe I could use a few friends. But that’s where it stops. You understand, don’t you?” 

Thomas nodded. “I can help you get through your next heat as well if you want Will.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Will murmured, handing Thomas his cell phone for him to add his number in to. “I’m eighteen next month. I’ll be spending my next heat with him.” 

“I see,” Thomas replied, hoping he didn’t sound wounded. “Will you bond?” 

Will didn’t answer him and simply took his phone back from him when Thomas had added his number. Thomas didn’t push it and simply rose to his feet, picking up his small bag lying on the sofa. 

“Is there anything I can get you before I go?” 

“You’ve been feeding me for the past five days,” Will grinned. “Don’t worry about it. Dr. Bloom is going to be here in about thirty minutes, I should get ready.” 

Thomas nodded, hesitating by the door, getting one last look at Will. “Let me know if you get sick of being at Port Haven and want to spend an hour in a shitty coffee shop sometime. I’d be more than happy to bust you out.” 

Will smiled back, fiddling with his bath robe. “Thanks. I’ll let you know if I need a get away car.” 

Thomas left him with a warm, almost sad smile and Will found himself alone in the room. He sighed and got dressed, getting ready to head down to meet Alana at the reception. 

 

 

Hannibal had called Alana a few days ago, intending to check up on Will, who would be in the second day of his heat. 

“How is Will managing with his heat?” Hannibal had enquired as he sliced strips of Peter Rosenthal’s leg to make prosciutto flowers, the phone on loud speaker as he prepared the meat. “I thought I might make him a personal favourite dish of mine and bring it over tonight. Perhaps you could get one of the nurses to give it to him when he feels up to eating?” 

“That’s very kind of you Hannibal,” Alana had replied, sounding confused. “But I thought you knew Will wasn’t at Port Haven?” 

The knife froze against the meat. 

“Will is not at Port Haven?” 

“No, I dropped him off at Baltimore Omega Heat Clinic Facility yesterday,” Alana told him. “He didn’t tell you?” 

Hannibal felt like his heart had stopped beating. “No. He didn’t.” 

“I’m sorry Hannibal, I thought he’d spoken to you about it,” Alana apologised, her voice regretful. 

“Will has not spoken to me in weeks and never mentioned going to a heat facility.” 

“He was pretty adamant about it, and the nurses advised it would be best for him, from a physiological point of view. His body couldn’t have coped with this heat on his own, not after everything he’s been through.” 

“When did he decide this?” Hannibal forced out, fully aware he was gripping the knife in his hands far too tightly. 

Alana huffed out a breath. “Jeez, must have been a month ago? Maybe a bit less.”

“I see.” 

“Is everything ok Hannibal?” Alana asked cautiously. “I’m picking him up in three days time, maybe you can have a session with him the day after? He’ll probably need a day to recuperate. I could drop him at your office if your schedule is too busy to come over to Port Haven?” 

“If Will would be amenable to it,” Hannibal replied, his body quivering. “It would be good to resume our sessions again after such a long period.” 

“Sure,” Alana agreed. “I’ll let you know how he is when I pick him up. He’ll probably call you, but if not I’ll be in touch. See you soon Hannibal.” 

“Thank you Alana,” Hannibal managed. “Goodbye.” 

When the Beta hung up Hannibal simply stared down at the leg before him on the counter. It was one of the few times Hannibal had been so enraged he was at a loss of what to do. He could drive to the heat clinic now and rip apart the Alpha who was knotting Will. He could file it away and deal with it later and continue preparing the meat. He could smash up his kitchen in a fit of rage, but Hannibal was not a callous man and valued his stainless steel kitchen appliances greatly. 

He chose to file it away, the rage too much to comprehend. He would address it tonight when he took to the streets and sought his solace in blood and terror and gore and it would hopefully provide him the smallest bit of temporary relief from this anguish until he could see Will again. 

 

The next day, Jack Crawford found himself stood over yet another corpse. 

This one was another Alpha. They’d identified him as Simon Kingston. He had no connection to Peter Rosenthal, and this time the murder appeared to be a case of wrong place, wrong time. 

They found Kingston’s body in the graveyard of St. Ignatius’ church. His wrists were bonded with rope and the end of each piece of rope was tied to the branches of two neighbouring trees. Suspended in the air by his wrists with his arms stretched out, Kingston had been mutilated, just as Rosenthal had. His throat had been slit and his chest was an open cavity, now home to hundreds of flowers. His heart had been removed and sliced in half, each half hammered into the palms of his hands with nails. His lungs were missing and his eyes had been removed and lay beneath his dangling, blue feet on the grass amongst a circle of flowers. 

“Anemone means forsaken,” Jimmy prattled next to him. “Yellow carnations represent rejection, gardenias usually mean secret love. Yellow hyacinths stand for jealousy. Rhododendrons mean danger.” 

“It’s like his own personal diary,” Zeller grimly conceded. “Dear diary, she doesn’t want me so I decided to go on a murderous rampage.” 

“I think the sentiment was a little bit more artistic than _that_ ,” Jimmy snapped back, rolling his eyes. 

“Well one thing is for certain,” Jack sighed, more to himself than anyone. “He’s in love.”


	12. Twelfth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Smut, basically. And some dark revelations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to all of my wonderful readers and the amount of love this fic is getting x

If Hannibal Lecter could look tired, or distressed, or anything other than the perfectly smooth exterior he presented to the world, this was it. Not much, Will knew, but enough for him to notice the doctor wasn’t holding up too well. His eyes were strained and there were dark circles underneath them, his jaw tight and a slight graze across his knuckles. 

Hannibal hadn’t said a word since he’d greeted him and Alana in his waiting room, bid Alana goodbye and ushered Will into his office. Will had briefly taken in the sleek interior of Hannibal’s office, allowing himself to gaze in appreciation at the balcony of books before he found himself sat opposite Hannibal in his painfully traditional psychiatrist-patient seating set up. They were apparently partaking in a staring contest, eyes fixed on each other in a solemn state of silence. 

Until Hannibal broke it. 

“I was thinking of hosting a dinner party soon,” he told him. His voice sounded thick, his accent heavier today. “Just a small event. For you, Margot and Alana. I’d like to meet Miss Verger.” 

“That would be nice,” Will found himself replying, his mouth numb and his voice barely there. “Margot would like to meet you too.” 

“I shall arrange it with Alana then.” 

Will said nothing in return, continuing to stare at the doctor. He gripped his hands together tightly enough to turn his skin a screaming white, the pressure was so great. He was somehow managing to keep his breathing somewhat regulated. 

“Why did you not tell me you were sleepwalking?” 

Will suppressed the shudder that started to form at the base of his spine and drifted his eyes to Hannibal’s foot that was suspended in the air over his crossed leg. His ankle looked oddly delicate and fragile and Will’s mouth began to sting with a bitter copper taste as he imagined how easily that ankle could break, how the skin could be peeled back and expose the Alpha’s tendons and bone and –

“Will?” 

“I didn’t think to mention it. I’m sick of talking about it every day to Alana, even though she’s there most nights to witness it.” 

“Have you been sleepwalking since your heat finished?” 

“I didn’t last night.” 

“Maybe it was merely a build up on internalised stress caused by your worry surrounding your heat.” 

“Probably.” 

“Why did you do it Will?” Hannibal finally asked, his voice sounding so wounded. “Why did you keep it from me?” 

“I didn’t have any other choice,” Will told him, his voice breaking as tears began to prickle in his eyes and his throat burned. “I couldn’t have spent my heat alone, my body couldn’t have coped with it. You can go and ask the nurses if you want.” 

“I do not doubt their medical evaluation of you, or your knowledge of your own biology. You know your body best.” 

“I wanted it to be you.” 

Hannibal’s jaw twitched at the single tear that rolled down Will’s face. 

“I wanted you to be the one who spent it with me,” Will insisted. “But you wouldn’t. So I did the only thing I could. This was about survival Hannibal, it was never about hurting you.” 

“And yet you didn’t feel able to tell me about it? You hid it from me, and I had to find out from Alana that you were at a heat clinic,” Hannibal said lowly, almost spitting Alana’s name. 

“I was scared of how you would react,” Will confessed, not bothering to hide his tears. “I’m still scared of how you’ll react now.” 

Hannibal regarded him, tilting his head to the side whilst something incomprehensible flashed through his amber eyes. “Do I frighten you Will?” 

“Sometimes,” Will admitted, chewing the inside of his cheek. “Sometimes I see behind the image you present to everyone else and it’s like I’m looking at something inhuman.” 

“Do you think I would ever hurt you?” Hannibal pressed him, uncrossing his legs and leaning forwards. 

Will cracked a broken, uncertain smile at him through the salt water running from his eyes. “Not unless it was for my own good.” 

Hannibal’s face relaxed, smoothed out into a pleased state. “You think I’m hiding certain aspects of myself from the world. You see something behind the persona I present.” 

“Yes. I see everyone else’s darkness so clearly. I see people’s addictions and their hates and their twisted prejudices and the strings of trauma behind their smiles and their words. I always have done. I see everyone’s insecurities as if they were my own. But I don’t see any of that when I look behind your curtain Hannibal.” 

“What do you see Will?” 

“I don’t,” Will whispered. “It’s like drowning in ink, like when you have your eyes wide open at night but you see nothing the sun is so far away from you. All I can do is feel and hear and smell. It’s so dark behind your curtain Hannibal.” 

“And what do your other senses say? What do you hear and smell?” 

“I smell blood and honey. I hear bones snapping and your voice in my ear like velvet.” 

“And it doesn’t frighten you? Doesn’t make you want to run?” 

“It makes me want to throw myself head first into you.” 

Hannibal rose from his chair slowly, walking over to Will with calculated steps. He crowded him in the chair, leaning into his space so that their faces were inches apart. Will saw the glow of rage in his eyes, twisting with jealousy. Hannibal’s hand sharply caught his chin, keeping his face still. 

“You will never go back to another heat clinic ever again,” Hannibal warned him, his voice barely avoiding being a growl. “You will never let anyone else touch you like that again. Do you understand Will?” 

Will nodded, his eyes alarmingly wide. “I’m sorry Hannibal.” 

“The thought of you in another’s arms makes me feel sick Will. It makes me want tear their throat out.” 

“Hannibal, please,” Will whispered, a hand nervously rising to curl his fingers around Hannibal’s wrist. “You wouldn’t spend my heat with me. I didn’t have any other choice.” 

“I shouldn’t have let you go there. I shouldn’t have let anyone else see you like that. I hate myself for it,” Hannibal murmured, skimming his nose along Will’s jaw, inhaling deeply. “Did he hurt you? Tell me Will. Tell me how he held you.” 

“He was... Hannibal I don’t - ”

Hannibal’s hand fisted the back of his head with a handful of curls, wrenching his head back and forcing Will on to his knees from the chair before him as he towered above the Omega. 

“Tell me.” 

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Will gritted out, staring back defiantly at Hannibal through his tears. “I want to forget it happened.” 

“And I want you to tell me what it was like,” Hannibal seethed, his eyes blazing. 

Will ripped his head out of Hannibal’s grip and got to his feet. He stood in front of him, not caring that Hannibal was at least half a head taller than him, and held the Alpha’s unwavering gaze. Hannibal’s hands twitched at his sides. 

“He was gentle,” Will spat. “He let me lash out at him when I was scared and he just held me tighter when I cried. I _enjoyed_ it by the end. I kept asking him for more, for everything, and he tried but he wasn’t _you_. He wasn’t you and it made me want to scream because I knew the whole time he was fucking me that you would have given me everything and more.” 

Hannibal let himself delve into Will’s mouth, not caring for manners right then. He gripped Will so hard he knew the boy would bruise, but that was what he wanted. He wanted every inch of Will’s skin to be marked by him. Will let him, tangled his hands in Hannibal’s hair and moaned into his mouth when Hannibal pulled him flush against his chest. He let Hannibal’s hands nearly rip his shirt from him, the buttons hanging on by a thread. He let Hannibal drag the offensive piece of clothing from his shoulders, let him dig his fingers into his skin. 

Hannibal’s mouth moved to his neck and he lavished his throat as if he was a starving man setting his eyes open his first meal in years. He worked his way down, sucking bruises onto Will’s chest and sinking his teeth possessively into the rounded mound of Will’s shoulder, nearly breaking the skin. 

Will gasped when he dragged his tongue along his chest and caught his nipple in his mouth. 

“Hannibal -”

The Alpha growled against his sternum, sinking to his knees as he gripped Will by waist and his deft fingers unbuckled his belt, popped the button of his jeans and unzipped his fly. 

“Did you imagine it was me, Will?” Hannibal breathed harshly against Will’s belly, sucking hard kisses along the delightful expanse of skin. “Did you imagine it was me knotting you, taking you?” 

“N-no,” Will groaned. “I couldn’t; I knew you would never be so careful with me. You wouldn’t have touched me like I was going to break.” 

“No,” Hannibal hummed in agreement, shoving Will’s jeans down to his ankles. “I know you are not so easily broken darling.”

Will whined as Hannibal’s hands smoothed themselves down the backs of his thighs and around his calves as he growled against Will’s hips and sucked brutally against the smooth skin that lay taught over his protruding hip bone. 

“Beautiful,” Hannibal sighed, rubbing his cheek against Will’s lower abdomen. “So beautiful Will, and you do not even see it.”

“I’m not,” Will whispered, cursing the sudden bout of tears threatening to form. “Please don’t Hannibal.” 

In a flash, the Alpha had Will bent over the arm of the chair he had been sat in moments ago, Will’s hands flying out to the other arm to brace himself whilst the doctor pressed himself against Will’s back, purring at the way their bodies fit together. He kissed Will’s shoulder blades, needled his teeth against the harsh bumps of his spine. 

“I will make you see how wonderful you are one day,” Hannibal murmured against his back, his breath hot. “But for now I want to make you see that you’re mine. That no one has the right to put their hands on you ever again.” 

Will shivered and pressed back into Hannibal’s heat, his breathing unsteady when he felt the hard length in Hannibal’s suit trousers. “I thought you were going to make me wait.”

“I had every intention of waiting until next month until I discovered someone else was knotting you,” Hannibal snarled. “My dedication to that decision has since disappeared. I will not wait for you any longer.” 

Will bit his lip when Hannibal’s fingers crept beneath the waistband of his underwear, smoothing them down Will’s thighs to join his jeans at his ankles. He’d never felt so bare, so exposed. Hannibal pressed his lips to the scar on his lower back where Mason had stabbed him. The skin was white, raised and smooth, a neat incision that had sank down into Will’s insides like a diver plunging into water. Hannibal’s hands were rubbing circles into Will’s hips and his sides, his lips grazing every inch of his back. 

“Hannibal,” Will sounded, squirming as the heat in his groin flared hotter. “I need – I need you to...” 

“You need me to what Will?” Hannibal mused against his back, dragging his tongue along his ribs. “Tell me.” 

“Anything,” Will croaked, instinctively pressing his hips back against the Alpha. “Please.” 

“Anything?” Hannibal replied, the smile in his voice evident. “You’ll take anything I give decide to give you?” 

“ _Yes_!” Will hissed, throwing his head back as a hand curved around his hip and splayed out flat against his stomach, the other curling around to grip his throat whilst Hannibal slowly grinded his clothed hips against Will’s ass. 

“What if I don’t want to let you have anything from me at all?” Hannibal asked him, purring against the shell of Will’s ear. “I could just tell you to get dressed again and drive you back to Port Haven.” 

“You won’t,” Will shakily disagreed, his eyelids fluttering. “I know you won’t Dr. Lecter. You want to replace his touch with yours, don’t you? You want to get rid of his smell, anything he left behind on me.” 

The hand around Will’s throat tightened enough to make Will go dizzy. Will moaned and Hannibal’s hands moved, two of his fingers prising Will’s lips open as he shoved the Omega down over the arm of the chair so his body was jostled into an almost triangle. Hannibal’s fingers slipped into his mouth and Will groaned around them, coating them with spit and flicking his tongue against the digits. 

“When your next heat hits you, I am going to take care of you Will,” Hannibal hissed. “I’ll give you what you need darling, make sure you’re never empty. You want that don’t you? You want to feel me on every inch of your body, inside and out?” 

Will choked out around Hannibal’s fingers, groaning loudly as they slipped past his lips. The Alpha’s hands squeezed his cheeks, humming in satisfaction at Will’s writhing as he bit down on his lip hard enough to break the skin and taste the pang of blood in his mouth. He trailed the tip of his finger over Will’s entrance, watching the Omega pant beneath him. 

“You won’t even be able to remember his face once I’ve had you,” Hannibal growled, pressing the pad of his finger a little harder against Will’s hole, fascinated with the slick that was pooling there. 

“You won’t be able to recall his name or what he felt like, because you will be completely consumed by me.” 

“Hannibal, _please_ ,” Will whimpered. “I can’t – I...” 

“Hmm?” Hannibal purred, amusing himself with dragging small, slow circles around Will’s slick coated entrance. “Would you like me to stop Will?” 

“No!” he snarled, jerking frantically beneath the older man. “Don’t you _dare_!” 

Hannibal stilled and pressed his finger even harder. “Do you think you can take my fingers Will? Or do you think it will be too much for you after your heat? Are you too _sensitive_?” 

With the final word falling from Hannibal’s lips, his finger pushed past the tight ring of muscle, sinking into Will’s vibrant warmth. Hannibal’s chest rumbled with want and the Omega gasped, twitching. 

“I want it,” Will gasped out, nearly sobbing again. “I want you to.” 

Hannibal slowly withdrew his finger, watching Will groan at the loss before slipping it in again, soothing his other hand down Will’s spine. “If only you could see how wet you are for me. But you can feel it, can’t you? You can feel yourself dripping for me.” 

Will made a high pitched keening sound, pressing his face into the arm chair as he shook. Hannibal teased him, edging his finger in and out of him at a snail’s pace, the pressure making Will’s insides scream in want for more. It wasn’t enough, not after five days of being knotted. 

“I need more,” Will rasped against the seat. “Please, Hannibal, I – more, I can’t, I need _more_.”

A second finger pressed against his entrance, Hannibal’s hand gripping his hip with bruising force. He slowly pushed his middle finger in next to his index finger, smirking at Will’s pleading noises. His fingers stilled and Will sounded like he wanted to cry. 

“If you want it Will, take it,” Hannibal shushed him, relishing the wet heat contracting around his digits. “Let me see you fuck yourself on my fingers.” 

The noise Will emitted sound broken and strangled and it was beautiful. The Omega immediately sank straight down on Hannibal’s fingers, hissing when they didn’t stretch far enough like he knew Hannibal’s cock would when he fucked him. His hips stuttered as he pushed back as far as he could, squirming against Hannibal. 

“Do you want another one Will?” Hannibal sighed wistfully, smiling. “Is two not enough for you?” 

He wasn’t sure he could actually voice an answer to Hannibal, so he just nodded his head fervently, his arms shaking as he attempted to keep himself upright and not collapse in a heap in the chair. Hannibal marvelled at the way Will’s hole swallowed his ring finger, eagerly welcoming the added stretch. Will made a hissing sound and Hannibal felt his insides clenching tightly around him, as if Will was trying to drag Hannibal’s whole hand into the hot pool of slick within him. Will was shaking as if Hannibal’s office was the Arctic Circle, sweat glistening on the surface of his flushed skin. He moved desperately back and forth on Hannibal’s fingers, soft sobs and whines escaping his throat. 

“That’s it darling,” Hannibal murmured, enchanted with Will’s burning heat. “I think you could take my knot right now, couldn’t you? You would take it whenever I wanted you to; you’d be so good for me.” 

“Hannibal, _fuck_ ,” Will mewled into the chair, biting down on his forearm. 

“Ssh,” Hannibal hushed him. “Let me take care of you Will.” 

Will didn’t have time to even take his next breath when Hannibal held his hips firmly in place, ceasing his desperate thrusts against his fingers. He crooked his fingers inside of Will, brushing against the small bundle of nerves that made his eyes roll back in his head. 

“ _Fuck_ ,” Will keened, sobbing. “A-again Hannibal, again.” 

Hannibal did not disappoint, flexing his fingers to rub slowly against Will’s prostate, a gentle but torturous pressure. He began to slide his fingers in and out of Will, curling them around his prostate every time he sank his fingers back into the Omega. Will clawed at the chair, his breath dragging, and Hannibal let himself fuck Will with his bare hand harder, speeding his movements up. Will’s body contorted underneath him, the image alone in his head of Hannibal’s thick, muscle corded forearm flexing enough to make Will’s cock strain with his impending orgasm. 

Will’s insides contracted around him repetitively and his chest shuddered with each breath. His scent was overwhelming, heavy in the back of Hannibal’s throat and making his own erection throb, the sensation dizzying. 

“Will you come for me now darling?” Hannibal crooned into Will’s ear softly. “I want to see it Will, I want to feel you ride it out on my fingers.” 

Will sobbed. 

“I want you to come just from my fingers inside of you. You can do that for me, can’t you? Come untouched, just because I desire it?” 

“Hannibal, I can’t,” Will spluttered, his eyes rolling as his fingers caressed his prostate. 

“Yes you can,” Hannibal insisted, letting his teeth graze over the smooth curve between Will’s neck and shoulder. “Do you want another finger Will? Would that help you, hmm? You may as well have my whole fist at that point.”

Hannibal’s fingers moved cruelly, rubbing his prostate and flowing in and out of him at a dizzying speed. The mere thought of Hannibal stretching him and filling him that far made Will’s made jolt forwards, his erection weeping. He didn’t dare let go of the other arm of the chair to touch himself. Hannibal would pin his wrists and make him rut against the chair. 

“I’d like to do that to you one day,” Hannibal purred between his shoulder blades, kissing the skin tenderly. “Lay you out on my bed and slowly make you take one finger after the other until my whole hand is inside of you. Would you let me?” 

“ _Yes_ ,” Will cried out, trying to create friction against the leather arm chair and his member in an attempt for relief. His orgasm was building torturously slow. “I want that Hannibal, so much, I -”

“I don’t think there’s much you wouldn’t let me do to you,” Hannibal growled, sinking his teeth into Will’s back. 

Will tried, he really did. He tried to reply, tried to do anything other than sweat and gasp and writhe but he couldn’t. He was getting so close and Hannibal’s pace was unrelenting and it was too much. 

“I think you regret telling me you weren’t too sensitive,” Hannibal chuckled darkly. “You are, aren’t you Will? It will be so sweet to take you the day after your heat finishes. To watch you lose yourself as I fuck you, make you dizzy with it. It will be too much, but you’ll take it, I know you will. You’ll take it so beautifully.” 

Will’s vision went blurry. 

“That’s it Will,” Hannibal encouraged him. “Let me see.” 

Will went rigid beneath him, his orgasm attacking him like an avalanche. He came with an open mouthed, slack face, convulsing in waves as he released all over Hannibal’s expensive arm chair and a scream caught in his throat. 

“Beautiful,” Hannibal marvelled, his voice soft with amazement. “You did so well Will.” 

Will gasped in fluttering breaths into the chair, his ass clenching in protest as Hannibal gradually withdrew his fingers. The air was thick with Will’s orgasm and Hannibal’s arousal, their scents dripping from the walls like the sweat rolling over Will’s ribs. 

“Fuck,” Will managed to let out in a strangled breath. “Hannibal.” 

The Alpha hummed in acknowledgement, stretching himself out over Will’s back and pressing him against the arm chair as his hands stroked his hair and his trembling arms. “It’s alright Will, I’ve got you.” 

They stayed like that as Will’s breathing began to return to regulated breaths rather than the bone shattering gulps of air he’d been taking. Hannibal buried his face in Will’s neck and drank in the smell of sweet, hazy backwaters and tangy musk that smelt like Louisiana, like dense southern air and humid orange warmth. 

“I came on your chair. I’m sorry.” 

Will felt Hannibal grin against his neck. “Your pillow talk is outstanding Will.” 

“You just fucked me with your fingers over an armchair,” Will deadpanned. “I see no pillow.” 

Hannibal laughed, earnestly. “You are wonderful Will.” 

He helped him dress, stroking his cheeks and combing his hands through his hair and kissing his eyelids. Will flickered his gaze to the evident erection Hannibal was still sporting but he shook his head. 

“This was about you Will, not me.” 

Will kissed him deeply, emitting waves of soft adoration for the Alpha. Hannibal savoured the feel of Will’s full, round lips moving against his and the sweet taste of his mouth whilst his heart beat trembled under the palm of his hand. Will kissed him until he felt dizzy again, pulling away with a gasp. 

“Careful,” Hannibal murmured. “Or Dr. Bloom will come knocking at my door demanding to know why you aren’t back at Port Haven.” 

“And you’d just look at her all innocent and say you had no idea when really I’d be locked in your bedroom,” Will teased him, rolling his eyes. “Wouldn’t you?” 

“If I could bear to drag myself away from you to answer the door in the first place.” 

“Mmm,” Will grinned. “I think I could do a pretty good job of keeping you where you are.” 

“I don’t doubt that for a second.” 

Hannibal eventually had to drive him back to Port Haven after more chaste kisses whilst curled up in his lap on Hannibal’s arm chair, marking him subconsciously with his scent. Hannibal returned the favour, kissing the Omega and nuzzling his throat and face until he was satisfied Will thoroughly _reeked_ of him. 

“I’d advise on perhaps avoiding Alana when you return,” Hannibal told him as he glanced at Will in the passenger seat. “Otherwise we may find ourselves in a slight predicament.” 

“A slight predicament?” Will scoffed, scrubbing his hands across his face. “I’d be confined to Port Haven for the rest of my life and you’d be run out of Baltimore.” 

Hannibal merely smiled. Will’s phone vibrated against his thigh where it sat in his lap, and he allowed himself to shoot a glance down at the lit up screen. A text message from someone called Thomas. 

Will didn’t notice he had seen, picking up his phone and unlocking it. 

“Margot?” Hannibal asked carefully. 

“Uh, yeah,” Will lied. “I’ll ask her about coming to dinner.” 

Hannibal gripped the steering wheel a little tighter. “I’ll speak to Alana as well. I’m sure it will be a pleasant evening.” 

After he’d dropped Will off at Port Haven, he returned to his office and sat at his desk with his tablet. He searched for Baltimore Omega Heat Clinic Facility and found their webpage. There was a section of the site for all their current volunteers. Hannibal rolled his eyes at how easy it was to find ‘Thomas’. There were several others with the name, but they were all Betas and Hannibal knew it had been an Alpha Will had spent his heat with. 

Thomas Sadler was irritatingly attractive and twenty three years younger than him. He was a recent graduate from the University of Maryland’s School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. There were basic medical facts and a brief summary of his history on the profile. Hannibal leant back in his chair and studied the Alpha’s smooth, tan skin. 

Perhaps he would skin him first. He’d make sure it was a prolonged death, either way. He would create something beautiful and worthy of displaying to the world to show his devotion to Will. 

 

Will was aware of every breath Margot took and every glance as Hannibal greeted them at his door. It was a bitter December night and the warmth of Hannibal’s house was heavenly. The other Omega stayed close by his side, her icy blue eyes taking in every detail about Hannibal Lecter. 

He regarded her with a smooth expression of welcoming politeness, smiling warmly at her. She allowed him a vague, detached smile in return. Will found himself fascinated by their interactions. 

“It’s wonderful to finally meet you Dr. Lecter,” Margot began, not allowing the Alpha to speak first. “Thank you for the dinner invitation.” 

“I’ve been looking forwards to meeting you for quite a while now Miss Verger. Will speaks of you often, as does Alana,” Hannibal reciprocated. “Please, call me Hannibal.” 

“I brought you some wine,” Margot announced. “Will told me you usually favour red meat, so I brought a bottle of red.”

Hannibal regarded the Rossignol Trapet she held out to him, taking it carefully from her. A clear declaration of her capability, her independence. Margot Verger only brought $300 dollar bottles of wine to dinner parties. Hannibal knew everything about the Verger family. He’d read up on them the minute he’d met Will. He wondered how long Margot was going to survive until her father’s will came into effect, unless she had found a loophole. She seemed the sort of woman capable of such manipulation. 

“That is very kind of you,” Hannibal thanked her. “It will pair wonderfully with the meal I have planned.” 

He showed them into the dining room and then excused himself to finish their dinner. 

“I have to say, I didn’t think this was a scenario that would ever happen when I first met you and Margot,” Alana smiled at Will. “Seems rather odd that we’re all here.” 

Will just hummed, his eyes continuously drifting to the door leading to the kitchen. Margot kicked him under the table. 

They chatted idly whilst they waited for Hannibal, the smells coming from the kitchen mouth watering. He appeared again a while later, carrying their plates. He set Will’s meal down first.

“Langue d’agneau en papillotes,” Hannibal announced. “Served with a sauce of duxelles and oyster mushrooms.” 

“It looks wonderful Hannibal,” Margot murmured, her eyes fixed on him as he set the plate down in front of her. “Thank you.” 

There were a few quiet moments as they began to eat, Alana voicing a compliment to Hannibal’s cooking. 

“So Hannibal,” Margot began. “How are you finding Will as a patient?” 

Will glared at her. She truly was on the war path tonight. Usually he appreciated her protectiveness of him, but tonight it made his blood boil. But of course she would be interrogating the doctor tonight. 

“I couldn’t possibly say,” Hannibal smiled back. “Will is not my patient, he is Alana’s.” 

“Well, how are you finding him as your un-official patient then?” 

“Will has come on leaps and bounds since his rescue,” Hannibal replied carefully. “He is a credit to himself.” 

“I’m glad to hear that. He is a remarkable individual, isn’t he?” Margot continued, her eyes frosty as she stared Hannibal out. 

“Margot, stop talking about me like I’m not here,” Will grumbled at her. 

“I’m just singing your praises Will,” Margot smiled darkly at him. “I’m sure Hannibal has plenty of praise to give you too.” 

“I think we can both agree that we are impressed with Will’s recovery so far,” Hannibal smiled carefully. “You must feel an awful lot of responsibility anyway, Margot. Are you seeking therapy yourself? I would be happy to offer my psychiatry services.” 

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about that,” Will smirked. “Margot’s been going to Alana for therapy for quite a while now, haven’t you Margot? Nearly as long as I’ve been seeing you, Hannibal.” 

“Yes,” Margot bit back, her smile tense. “Alana is a wonderful therapist.” 

“Thank you Margot,” Alana smiled gently at her. “You’re a wonderful patient. Well, un-official patient.” 

“That is unlike you to offer therapy outside of an official, professional environment,” Hannibal commented. “For as long as I’ve known you you’ve always persevered to do everything by the book.” 

“Well, it was an exception,” Alana answered cautiously. “Margot had no other support network until I offered.” 

“I wonder if our un-official therapy differs so much Will,” Margot asked with a sly smile. “What do you think? Do you reckon we have quite similar sessions with our doctors?” 

“I think,” Will bit back at her, “that all four of us are very different. I think our therapy is as different as it could possibly get Margot.” 

Hannibal smirked into his plate and Margot ran her tongue over her teeth as she looked at Will. Will glowered and Alana looked mortified. 

Will was regretting to agreeing to this dinner party. 

 

 

Margot helped Hannibal clear the plates after they finished eating, leaving Will and Alana to talk in Hannibal’s living room. 

“I know you’re fucking him,” the Omega announced as she scraped the plates into the food waste unit Hannibal had pointed out to her. 

“I know you know.” 

“Then you’ll know that if you do a single thing to hurt him, I’ll come for you.” 

“I don’t doubt that Margot. But I have no intention of doing anything of the sort.” 

Margot rounded on him, knife clutched in her perfectly manicured hand. “You might not have any intention of it, but I don’t know you. Until I do, my promise stands. Will is the only family I have and I won’t let anyone hurt him again. Not after Mason.” 

“Odd that you consider him akin to family after knowing him for such a short time,” Hannibal commented, turning as he rinsed the expensive Japanese knives he’d cooked with. “It’s only been six months, hasn’t it?” 

“I thought Will would have told you.” 

Hannibal went still. “Told me what, Margot?” 

Margot glanced to the open kitchen door, then walked over to it and shut it. 

“I think you and I need to have a conversation about Will, Dr. Lecter,” Margot replied thinly. “If you’re going to be invested in him, there’s things you should know.” 

“And does Alana know these things?” Hannibal asked carefully. 

“Not yet. I plan on telling her soon though. You understand, it’s difficult for me and Will to trust other people.” 

“Why are you telling me this Margot?” Hannibal asked, frowning. “You’ve only just met me tonight and have no way of knowing I will keep your secrets.” 

“It doesn’t matter that I only just met you,” Margot replied smoothly. 

“I struggle to believe that you’re willing to confide in me off the back of Alana’s and Will’s trust in me.” 

“Of course I’m not willing to confide in you based on their trust. I don’t trust you as far as I can throw you.” 

“Then why, Margot?”

“Omegas are intuitive Dr. Lecter,” Margot smiled icily. “I see that you’re a killer too.”


	13. Thirteenth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Margot and Hannibal have THAT conversation, Will's feeling good about life for once and Hannibal pays a visit to Thomas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you once again guys! You are all absolutely amazing and wonderful for giving this fic the time of day, I appreciate it so much <3 Keep the kudos, bookmarks and comments coming
> 
> I'd also just like to apologise if I've included any incorrect information about the education system in the States. I'm from the UK so any parts of this fic featuring things like American schooling systems down to geography are purely based off of what I've found when researching.

“You have a nice office,” Margot commented as she strolled around the room. “I like it.” 

“Thank you,” Hannibal responded, watching her movements. 

Margot had arrived at his office the next day to continue their conversation. Before Hannibal had the chance to reply to Margot, Will had opened the kitchen door, his eyes full of suspicion. They’d smiled and pretended nothing had happened and joined Will and Alana in the living room. When the three of them left, Hannibal had managed to catch Margot, asking her to meet him at his office the next day. 

And now here she was, in all of her cold beauty. 

Margot’s scent reminded Hannibal of sharp, tart berries and frost. It was an intriguing smell, but there was something off about it. Something lacking, an element that all Omegas should have. He inhaled deeper and realised what was amiss with Margot’s scent. Fertility. 

Margot settled into the chair opposite Hannibal, sighing. “I don’t appreciate you scenting me, Dr. Lecter.” 

“Please, I insist you call me Hannibal. I see no need for the formality,” he replied smoothly. “And forgive me. I overstepped a boundary.” 

“Yes,” Margot replied flatly. “You seem to have a penchant for overstepping people’s boundaries. Mainly Will’s.” 

“Is it overstepping a boundary when you are invited to cross over the line?” Hannibal shot back at her, smiling in amusement. 

“It is when you’re in a position of authority and trust. You should know better.” 

“I’m curious Margot,” Hannibal pondered, leaning back and looking at her. “Not that I doubt your feelings towards Will, but you protectiveness of him seems to extend far beyond that of an acquaintance.” 

“I see Will as my family.” 

“A strong statement to make about someone you’ve known for such little time.” 

“Three years does not feel so small, Hannibal.”

“I see,” Hannibal smiled ruefully. “However I must admit I’m confused Margot. Police reports state you met Will the night you saved him.” 

“A lie, obviously.” 

“It would appear so.” 

Margot watched him for a long moment, her pale blue eyes fixed on him. “I knew that Will was in my home the day he arrived when he was just fourteen.” 

“A rather large secret to tell. One that would have serious repercussions if ever brought to light,” Hannibal replied. “Although you have your reasons for lying, I assume?” 

“Of course I do,” Margot answered stiffly. “My interests have only ever been invested in myself and Will. We’re all that we have left and looking out for each other is as natural to us as it is to breathe air.” 

“You say that you wish to protect Will, but is this not betrayal? Are you not double crossing him?” 

“Let me explain,” Margot replied. “It’s all rather long and complicated.” 

Hannibal simply gestured for her to begin, his face open with polite interest. 

“Five years ago my brother had me sedated and ordered his personal doctor to perform a hysterectomy on me,” Margot began. “That’s why I smell strange. I have no uterus or ovaries and will never have children. Two years later he came home one day telling me he’d purchased an Omega from an auction and planned to breed him and give him an heir. Our father’s will dictated that the entire Verger estate and the business was to be inherited by an Alpha heir only, which is why Mason had me rendered infertile. He wouldn’t take the chance of me being able to have an Alpha child.

I’ve wanted to kill my brother for as long as I can remember. It only escalated when he took my womb. He was rubbing it in my face by bringing Will into our home but I think he suspected I wanted him dead. Getting Will to provide him with an Alpha heir meant that our father’s will stayed intact, on the off chance I snapped one day and killed him. I spent the next three years caring for Will as much as Mason would allow me to. I saw him every day and I was there for every broken bone, every miscarriage and I was the one who washed the blood off of him when my brother lost control.”

She took a deep breath, waiting for Hannibal’s face to show a sign of reaction but when there was none, she continued. 

“Mason was sick. He was the most twisted, sadistic person I ever met. He used to say to me that once Will had given him multiple children, he’d get him pregnant again but this time the baby would be for me. He told me it would be like an apology gift for taking away my womb. Will was never anything more than a machine to Mason, he was no better than the pigs he liked to keep. I grew to love Will, Hannibal. I love him profoundly and will do anything to protect him.” 

“And tell me Margot,” Hannibal prompted. “What things have you already done to protect him?” 

“I was there when Jasper was born. Will didn’t know where he was or what was going on, Mason had him pumped full of that many drugs. He let Will hold Jasper for no more than fifteen minutes after he’d given birth. Then he took Jasper away and locked them in his bedroom. I was a coward. I should have gone straight after him, demanded he give Jasper back to Will, but I didn’t. I was terrified for Will’s sake, and he needed someone to look after him after he’d just given birth. When I was sure Will was going to be ok, I left him to sleep. I tried to get Mason to open the door, but there was never an answer when I called to him or knocked. In the end I gave up and a few hours later Will was screaming the house down. He’d ripped his hands to pieces trying to get out when I got into his room.”

Hannibal’s stomach turned at the memory of Will’s missing fingernails and broken, swollen knuckles.

“He demanded I take him to Mason, so I did. He must have heard us coming and unlocked the door. I just opened it and shut it behind Will after he went inside.” 

“This is not the story you told the FBI, Margot,” Hannibal murmured eyes glinting. “Are you sure you wish to go any further?” 

“You won’t go to the police or the FBI,” Margot sighed. “I know what you are Hannibal and I need to tell you this to make sure you’re not going to hurt Will. I need to see you truly care about him. And if you do go to the police, I’ll make sure they know what you are and that you never see Will again.” 

“And what exactly is it that you think I am?” Hannibal asked with a polite small. 

“You take people’s lives; you’re a killer.” 

“You have an alarming amount of self assurance then, to come here and be alone with someone you believe is a killer,” Hannibal remarked. 

“When I opened Mason’s bedroom door again, Will was the only living being inside that room,” Margot told him flatly. “Mason had smothered Jasper to death because he couldn’t get him to settle and stop crying. I want to tell you that Will murdered my brother for killing their son, but that word doesn’t seem accurate for what he did.” 

Hannibal’s instinctive Alpha side purred with delight at the piece of information. He’d known from the start that Will harboured a darkened soul, could _smell_ the shadows on him, but to hear Margot confirm it was like the sweetest poem he’d ever heard. 

“And what exactly did Will do?” Hannibal pressed, his eyes flaming with joy. 

“He butchered him. He beat him senseless and skinned his face with Mason’s own knife. He stabbed him in the chest until it didn’t really even look like a chest anymore and then gutted him and left his intestines hanging out of him.” 

Margot’s hand trembled and she clasped them together. “I didn’t feel a thing. I was glad he was dead. Will wouldn’t let go of Jasper, so I put them both in my bedroom whilst I covered the whole thing up.” 

“You pushed Mason’s body into the pit he kept the pigs in and they devoured him so no one would see what Will had done to him.” 

“Yes.” 

“You burned all of Will’s clothing and everything Mason’s blood had touched.” 

“Yes. The mattress was difficult to get out of the house but I managed.” 

“Then you washed all of Mason’s blood off of Will and rang the police.” 

“After I bleached the whole house and made sure the fire had burnt everything enough to make it look like a bonfire. I made sure Mason’s body was gone too.” 

“And you told the police you had no idea Will had ever been there, that Mason had died in a freak accident and you had no idea what was going on.” 

“That just about sums it up.” 

“Why did you do it?” 

“Because I didn’t want Will to get committed to a facility for the criminally insane and knew that his best option was somewhere like Port Haven. I’d be charged and arrested if they found out I’d practically helped Mason keep Will there all that time. I fed him, bathed him when he couldn’t do it himself, helped him clean up the blood from all the miscarriages. I watched him bring my nephew into the world. With Mason dead, I was the sole perpetrator.” 

“And you want me to know all of this because you think this is your chance to see whether I will betray Will or not?” Hannibal summarised. “A large risk to take, is it not?” 

“It is,” Margot replied. “But you’re taking a large risk by having a sexual relationship with a minor and killing other people. If me and Will go down, you will too. I know you won’t leave him alone; I know how obsessive Alphas get and I also know how stubborn Will is. It’s out of my hands to try and end your relationship with him – for his own sake, of course – but I wouldn’t take away Will’s happiness. He hasn’t been happy since he was taken and I can see you make him enjoy life again.” 

Margot smiled and Hannibal remained silent. 

“Besides,” Margot concluded coolly. “There’s not a single scrap of evidence to prove what Will and I did, so even if you did betray him, the likelihood of anything really happening is near impossible. And then you will find yourself being charged with statutory rape and investigated for murder.”

“I assure you Margot,” Hannibal smiled, “that not a scrap of evidence would be found proving I have ever harmed anybody. Your assumptions that I have murdered people are farfetched.” 

“You can lie to me all you want, it doesn’t faze me,” Margot responded nonchalantly. “But I know that you kill. I have an extremely good sense for these things. I’m not afraid of you Hannibal. I’m not afraid of death; if I was I wouldn’t have been able to cover up my own brother’s murder and still look at the person who killed him as my family.” 

“No, I can see you are not afraid,” Hannibal noted dryly. “Perhaps I might ask that you withdraw your allegations that I am a murderer though; such things are harmful when they are not true.” 

“I know what you are, you don’t need to keep the pretence up,” Margot laughed. “I have no intentions of telling anyone. I would never say a word to Will.” 

“Do you not feel that you are betraying Will by telling me all of this without his knowledge or consent? This is not information I take lightly.” 

“I’ve found that when it comes down to what’s best for Will, it’s best that he’s not aware of it. Will needs to focus on healing himself, not worrying about having to confess to you the things he’s done. And like I said; I’m just testing you Hannibal. I’m seeing whether you’d stick to what you say and never hurt him. This way I can be sure that if you do hurt him, I can remove you from his life with ease. I won’t allow anymore harm to come to Will.” 

“You see it as your God given right to decide what’s best for him,” Hannibal said sharply. “Will is his own person Margot. Do you think you’re going to be able to control him for the rest of his life?” 

“I’m not controlling him. I’m looking out for him, trying to protect him from Alphas like _you_ ,” Margot retorted. “I failed him when it came to Mason and I won’t let him be hurt again.”

Hannibal lent forwards, his lip curling slightly as he looked at the Omega. She held her ground. “Will does not need you to make decisions for him. My relationship with him is not something you need to concern yourself with. I know you think you’re only doing what’s best for him Margot, but all you’re really doing is jeopardising _your_ relationship with him. Will won’t take this underhand plan of yours lightly.” 

“You think he’d turn to you so quickly? That if it came down to it, he’d cut me out of his life and take your side?” 

“Betrayal is not something I think he would take lightly and I will not do that to him; if you were to stab him in the back, he would find that unforgivable.”

“If I wanted to stab him in the back I would have called the police and had him arrested for murdering my brother, not help him cover the whole thing up,” Margot hissed, her icy eyes blazing as she bared her own teeth. “I intend to look after Will.” 

“Why? Because your brother bought him, do you feel some sense of ownership over him? Or do you do it out of guilt? I imagine it is the latter; you’re compensating him for the years of abuse you allowed him to endure under your roof.” 

“I couldn’t have done anything,” Margot muttered, glowering at him. “Mason would have killed us both.” 

“No, Margot,” Hannibal said softly, startling the Omega. “Over three years there must have been plenty of opportunities for you to call the police and get Will out. You could have claimed to be part of that abuse, you know better than anyone that your brother caused you enough suffering. You could have been taken under a witness protection program, both you and Will. But you didn’t.” 

“You have no idea what Mason was like,” Margot uttered, her face grave and her voice bearing a lifetime of pain. “You don’t know what it was like to live in fear every day. To not know if one day he really was going to snap and do irreparable damage.”

“I can only process what you and Will tell me, along with the police statements,” Hannibal murmured. “But you used Will just as much as Mason did. Siblings using one person to both get what they wanted.” 

“That’s not true,” Margot rebuked, looking disgusted. “I’ve never used Will.” 

“You both did; Mason got what he wanted when Will bore his son and you got what you wanted from him when he ended Mason’s life,” Hannibal pointed out flatly, his eyes guarded. “At least you are now trying to make up for it, in your own way, even if you are only causing more damage than good.”

“The whole point of this is that I’m not letting any more damage happen to him,” Margot snapped. 

Hannibal sighed heavily, weary of her stubbornness. “I hate to rain on your parade Margot, but Will is eighteen next month. What will you do when you can no longer inform the authorities that Will is underage? There is nothing to prove your claims and Will would deny it all. You have no evidence that I have ever harmed anyone to back up your ridiculous claims that I am a murderer. I’m afraid this all seems rather futile and badly thought out.” 

“No, I can’t make a move if you don’t harm Will until he’s eighteen,” Margot agreed. “But I can still have him taken away from you Hannibal.” 

“You would tell the FBI he killed Mason.” 

“Yes. He’d hate me of course, most likely try to get back at me by telling them I covered the whole thing up and helped Mason keep him at Muskrat Farm, but really; who are they going to believe over the unstable Omega who’s sank into psychosis after years of abuse and having his child murdered compared to the Omega who’s still a functioning member of society from a respectable family?” 

“You’re not above destroying Will to keep him safe from any potential threat you think I impose on him,” Hannibal scoffed. “What a twisted love you have for him Margot.” 

“Say what you will Hannibal, but I promised myself to keep him safe, even if that means putting him in a facility for the criminally insane to keep him away from you,” Margot smiled back politely. “How many times must I repeat that to you?” 

“Let me explain something then, Margot,” Hannibal drawled, nearly spitting her name. “Will’s safety and happiness are my priority. Do not think for one moment I would not arrange for _you_ to be removed from his life if I had reason to believe you were a potential source of harm to him.” 

“Oh, please do be realistic,” Margot smirked. “Do you honestly think this fling you’re having with him is going to last? I’m surprised you don’t see what’s happening here, considering you’re the psychiatrist. Will has just latched on to you because you’re the first Alpha to swoop in and show him any sort of compassion or attention. Don’t think for one minute he would have looked at you twice if another Alpha had gotten there before you.” 

“An interesting theory,” Hannibal replied coldly, not deigning to give the insult a proper reply. 

“It’s not a theory, it’s fact. Will’s an Omega, an extremely damaged and unstable one. His biology makes him crave comfort from an Alpha after everything that’s happened to him; you know as well as I do that Omegas whose mates die are compelled to mate again as soon as possible. This isn’t love Hannibal, nothing as tangible as that. It’s just Alpha and Omega hormones, as per fucking usual.” 

The swearing made Hannibal’s eyebrows rise. He was used to drawling cussing from Will’s soft, lilting Louisiana accent, but Margot seemed entirely above all that. It was odd hearing it come from her mouth. 

“I’m sorry that you feel so threatened by my relationship with Will, Margot,” Hannibal offered her in a gesture of thinly veiled condescending. “It must be such a strain to be so consumed with other people’s private lives.” 

“Hannibal,” Margot smiled icily. “We both care about him so let’s just try to do this without acting like children. I will continue to look out for Will and I’ll keep my promise; I won’t go to the police and take you away from each other.” 

She haughtily rose to her feet then, smoothing out her blouse. “Cause him the slightest bit of upset and I will make you sorry you ever met him. Have a pleasant day, Hannibal, and thank you for seeing me. Perhaps we could all do dinner again soon, hmm?” 

Hannibal said nothing and merely watched her as she smiled briefly once more before turning and heading out of his office, the smell of frosty berries and infertility lingering in the air. 

He had to give it to her; she was fearless. But ferocity did not ensure safety. 

 

 

Will started night school. Alana dropped him off and picked him up from Baltimore City Community College three times a week. The classes were fairly small and everyone there was older than Will. The other attendees were mainly all Betas, but there were two other Omegas and four Alphas. Will enjoyed his two hours three times a week at the college. It was the only small, personal space he got to have, the only piece of independence he’d ever had. Within three months, he’d be walking out with his GED. Then he could go to college. It seemed bizarre to even think that he had the chance to do such a thing, considering not even a year ago he had been locked in a room he thought he would most likely die in. 

As he scraped his belongings back into his bag – his damn hands still shook despite being on the medication for almost seven months now – he felt eyes watching him. He stiffened and looked around to see one of his Alpha classmates watching. Will raised an unimpressed eyebrow. 

“Need a hand?” he asked softly, rising from his seat. 

The others had all cleared out by now, their teacher heading to the door. Will gritted his teeth as the Alpha approached him. 

“I’m fine, thank you,” Will replied. 

The Alpha just watched as Will’s tremors worsened with nerves and he dropped his notebook as he attempted to shove it into his bag. “Doesn’t look like it.” 

Will stooped down to pick up his notebook, finding the Alpha stood mere inches away from him when he straightened himself again. He smiled at Will, his eyes crinkling in amusement. 

“Pretty shaky hands you got there,” he commented. “Must get pretty frustrating.” 

“You get used to it,” Will snapped, clutching his notebook to his chest and stepping back. “My ride is waiting outside, I’m sorry.” 

The Alpha merely stepped forwards again. His eyes were like mud and his skin looked as if he barely saw any natural sunlight, his hair a lank blonde. “You know, it’s pretty weird seeing you here. You look like you should still be in high school, never mind taking night school classes with a bunch of thirty-something-s.” 

“Right,” Will deadpanned, shuffling closer for the door. “Anyway, I really have to go. See you around.” 

A hand grazed against his palm as he all but fled the room, the Alpha’s eyes still crinkled from his grin. 

“See you around Will.” 

 

 

 **How’s night school going?**

Will bit his lip at the text Thomas sent him. The Alpha had been messaging him every couple of days and it made Will’s gut clench with guilt. He felt like he was leading Thomas on, but he’d done nothing but give him short, clipped responses when he did actually bother to text back. Sometimes Thomas went days without a text back.

Hannibal was due to arrive at Port Haven soon, which made Will’s heart pound frantically between his lungs, but feel disappointed at the same time; he wanted to be in Hannibal’s office so that he could throw himself in the man’s lap. He couldn’t very well do that in Port Haven’s day room surrounded by orderlies and other patients. 

**It’s good thanks. How’s volunteering at the heat clinic?**

The text came back in under a minute. 

**Glad to hear it’s going well! You should be proud of yourself. And I’m thinking of quitting volunteering there.**

**Really? How come?**

**I guess my heart just isn’t in it anymore. It all feels quite tasteless and jaded now.**

**Helping other people feels tasteless? You seemed enthusiastic about it.**

**Yes, but then I met you.**

Will swallowed and stared at the text. He couldn’t do this to Thomas. 

**Thomas, we’re just friends. Our friendship shouldn’t stop your volunteer work.**

**I keep imagining that they’re all you. Not healthy, I know, but I can’t help it. Guess you fucked me up more than I thought you would, Will.**

**Maybe we should delete each other’s numbers.**

**I’m sorry if I’m making you feel uncomfortable. I just wanted to be honest with you.**

**I told you this could only ever be friendship. You knew this wouldn’t go anywhere, so maybe it’s best we don’t get in touch with each other again.**

There was immediate response, and Will imagined Thomas sat in his home, snarling at his phone at Will’s rejection. But Thomas wasn’t like that; it was difficult to imagine Thomas losing his temper about anything. 

**I want to see you again Will**

**I can’t see you if you’re not willing to accept me as a friend and nothing else. I’m grateful to you for helping me through my heat, but that’s where it ended. I’m starting to think I shouldn’t have given you my number.**

**Please Will. I miss you. Just coffee? Nothing more, I promise.**

The knock on his door startled Will. 

“Come in.” 

Will’s stomach sank when Hannibal’s form appeared from behind the door. He smiled at Will, looking so besotted with the Omega it made his legs feel like jelly. He locked his phone quickly and got to his feet and threw himself into the Alpha’s arms, inhaling his scent. Chocolate, spices, wood smoke and something that felt like _home_. 

“Hello, mylimasis,” Hannibal rumbled, nosing through Will’s hair and scenting him back. “I’ve missed you.” 

Will stretched up on his tiptoes and pressed his lips firmly to Hannibal’s. Hannibal parted his lips immediately, tangling a hand in the back of Will’s hair and gripping his waist with the other. Will sighed into his mouth and smiled against Hannibal’s lips, murmuring in contentment. 

“How have you been?” Will asked, pulling back from the kiss and stroking his thumb across the sharp jut of Hannibal’s cheekbone. 

Hannibal seated himself in the chair by Will’s window. “It’s been a rather testing week, I’m afraid. But how have you been, more importantly?” 

“I’ve been ok,” Will replied, chewing his lip. “I’m liking night school. Anything in particular happen?” 

“Just some rather troublesome patients,” Hannibal smiled smoothly. “Nothing too concerning. It seems that even I can find my patience wearing thin with some people.” 

“Part of your job though I suppose,” Will replied grimly, stretching his leg out and skirting his foot over Hannibal’s gently. “Being a psychiatrist must be one of the toughest occupations out there.” 

“It has its moment,” Hannibal sighed through his smile. “But tell me about night school.” 

“It’s going really well,” Will replied, pulling his legs up to fold in on himself and rest his chin on his knees. “I like the teacher, he’s great. All the other people there are nice, apart from the one weird guy.” 

“What has he done?” Hannibal asked in a tight voice, maintaining his smile. 

“Oh, nothing,” Will dismissed, waving his hand. “He just always tries to get me on my own at the end of every class, always wants to talk to me about personal stuff. Doesn’t seem to know what personal space is.” 

“That is unfortunate,” Hannibal responded, thin lipped. “You should report him to the teacher. Harassment is unacceptable.” 

“It’s nothing Hannibal, really,” Will smiled softly. “I can look after myself anyway.” 

Hannibal thought of Will, Mason’s body pinned underneath him as he skinned his face. “I have no doubt of that Will.” 

They talked about Will’s classes more, of him getting his GED and applying to go to college. Hannibal’s heart softened at the shine in Will’s eyes as he talked excitedly about his future. At one point Will excused himself to go to the bathroom and Hannibal did not fail to notice his cell phone fall from his pocket to the chair as he got to his feet. Hannibal waited until he heard the bathroom door shut and then swiftly swiped up the phone. It didn’t take him long to read the messages from Thomas and quickly decide to text Thomas back asking him to meet him. 

**Can you meet me at Druid Hill park on Thursday at 12? Don’t reply to this text, the orderlies are checking everyone’s cell phones. Just meet me there.**

Hannibal then deleted the message he’d sent to Thomas and placed Will’s phone back on the arm chair. He smiled sweetly at Will when he emerged from the bathroom again. 

“It’ll be Christmas soon,” Hannibal smiled. “I’d like you to spend Christmas Day with me.” 

Will’s cheeks flushed and Hannibal decided it was most positively one of the loveliest sights in the world. “That would nice.” 

“Excellent.” 

 

Thomas Sadler was sat waiting on a park bench near the entrance to Druid Hill when Hannibal spotted him. He was holding two takeaway containers of coffee in the bitter December air, chewing his lip and staring absentmindedly at a couple walking their dog together. The sight appeared to make him almost sad. 

He startled slightly when Hannibal lowered himself onto the bench next to him. He glanced the older Alpha up and down before frowning slightly. 

“I’m sorry, I’m meant to be meeting someone right about now,” Thomas smiled wearily. “Would you mind if they sat here? There’s a free bench right over there.” 

“Yes, I’m aware,” Hannibal replied smoothly, his face blank as he stared back at Thomas. “Unfortunately Will wasn’t able to make it.” 

Realisation dawned on Thomas’ face and he sank back against the bench with a sigh. “So you’re this wonderful, mysterious Alpha then huh?” 

“And you’re the Alpha who spent Will’s heat with him,” Hannibal retorted, the disgust heavy in his voice. “The one who keeps harassing him with text messages.” 

Thomas rolled his eyes. “You want the coffee I bought him? Seeing as he’s not here.” 

Hannibal regarded the container of coffee for a moment before shrugging and accepting the cup. “Thank you.” 

“Not a problem. Would’ve gone cold otherwise.” 

They sat in silence then, staring at out the park in front of them. 

“Can we get this over with then?” Thomas asked dryly. “It’s getting too cold to sit out here much longer.” 

“Your attraction to Will is rather inconvenient for me, when I am trying to court him,” Hannibal replied, sipping the coffee. It wasn’t as awful as he expected it would be. “You were nothing but a means to an end Thomas. You were essentially a tool to get him through his heat, nothing more.” 

“A heat that you wouldn’t spend with him,” Thomas added calmly, his voice neutral. “His first one after getting out of that maniac’s house. The first heat someone else got to spend with him. It was a rather intense one, but they usually are after they’ve given birth. Are you regretting it was me who got that privilege and not you?” 

“If you are trying to wound me please don’t waste any more time,” Hannibal smiled politely, keeping his gaze on the couple throwing a ball for their dog. “That pleasure is reserved for Will.” 

“I’m not trying to wound you. I’m just trying to get you to see what an idiot you were by being honest with you. He was so _sweet_ ,” Thomas smiled, his eyes hard and his jaw tight. “I haven’t stopped thinking about it.”

Hannibal sipped his more of his coffee. “I have an entire lifetime of heats to spend with Will. _Legally_ spend with him. You were an exception for extreme circumstances.” 

“I still have welts all down my back from where he just lost it,” Thomas hummed. “Sometimes I try and reach around and open them up again. They’re wonderful.” 

“You don’t know Will,” Hannibal shot back at him coldly. “Do not insult him by pretending to know who he really is.” 

“I read all about him getting abducted and what that Verger guy did to him. The clinic has to brief you about Omegas who’ve been through things like that. So, I know about his trauma,” Thomas replied. “And I know him more intimately than you can ever claim to; heats are when you really see each other, in earnest.” 

“It will only be another three months until I learn to know what Will is like in heat,” Hannibal sighed. “And I know him intimately Thomas. I know every spot on his body that makes his toes curl.” 

“I’m guessing your promise to wait until he’s eighteen next month didn’t last very long then,” Thomas pointed out. 

“I found myself unable to keep that promise when he returned from the clinic and I knew you’d had your hands all over him,” Hannibal told him truthfully. “You’ll understand that anyway. You’re actively trying to sleep with him outside of the heat clinic.” 

“I bet you had a field day trying to replace my scent with yours,” Thomas chuckled. “And yes, the thought of having Will again is an extremely desirable one. Can you blame me for wanting to try?” 

“I can, actually,” Hannibal responded. “Will is very obviously spoken for and the fact you felt it was acceptable to still pursue him is incredibly disrespectful and _rude_.” 

“I’m not going to back down,” Thomas informed him, scrunching the empty takeaway coffee cup in his hand. “You’re only courting him. If you’d bonded with him, that would be a different story. But you haven’t, so as far as I’m concerned I will keep trying to get closer to him.” 

“Do you really think,” Hannibal smiled dangerously, his voice laced with venom, “that Will would ever look twice at _you_? An Alpha who couldn’t even keep his first mate, with an income that could never support the two of you, who could never give him a family in the future? You’re pathetic; you serve the function of a mindless knot and nothing else Thomas.” 

Thomas scowled. “That may be your opinion of me, but it doesn’t matter. I only give a shit about Will’s opinion.” 

“Will finds you irritating,” Hannibal snapped. “You pester him and harass him. You have no idea who Will really is and you could never be what Will needs. I can only advise you to cease contacting him before he reports you to the police.” 

“Or do you mean until _you_ report him to the police?” Thomas scoffed. “You’re controlling him.” 

“I wouldn’t waste my time reporting you to anyone,” Hannibal replied coldly. “I’d deal with you myself.” 

“I don’t think you want to threaten me,” Thomas smiled, his eyes black with rage. 

Hannibal got to his feet. “If you contact Will again and he does not report you, I will come after you. Please think sensibly about this Thomas. Chasing Will is pointless; he’s _mine_.” 

Thomas simply sat in stunned silence as the other Alpha turned on his heel and walked away from him, his thick black coat flowing out behind him dramatically. There wasn’t much else to do then but stare down at the empty cup of coffee and wonder what the hell had just happened to him.


	14. Fourteenth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A display in an aquarium and Christmas in the Lecter household.

Alana wasn’t expecting to see Jack Crawford hanging at the back of the classroom at the end of her lecture. Jack normally didn’t seek her out unless he really needed her for something. 

“Impressive lecture Alana,” Jack smiled in greeting. “The BAU is really pleased with how well the trainees are coming along with you.”

“Thanks Jack,” Alana smiled in return, gathering her notes together. “I’m sorry I can’t stick around, I have to get back to Port Haven.” 

“I actually wanted to ask you a favour,” Jack cleared his throat, clasping his hands together behind his back. “It concerns Will Graham.” 

“What about him?” Alana asked cautiously, pursing her lips. “Is it something to do with Mason? I thought that whole thing had been ruled off as a freak accident. Unless it’s to do with Will’s son?” 

“There wasn’t much to do in the case of Jasper Verger,” Jack told her, straightening his spine. “You already knew the autopsy came back confirming asphyxiation and seeing as Mason died hours after Jasper, there was nothing we could do.” 

“So what do you want with Will?” 

“We think we’ve found a lead with the Omega trafficking ring. I was hoping you’d be able to bring him into head quarters so we could ask some questions.” 

“You’re behavioural sciences Jack,” Alana pointed out. “You don’t get involved with the underworld. Unless you’re being moved to the organised crime branch?” 

“No, but I offered to bring Will in and sit in on the interviews,” Jack explained. “Seeing as I met him and personally know you, they approached me and asked if I could make it happen.” 

“And is Will legally required to do this?” Alana asked sceptically. 

“We were hoping we wouldn’t have to get an official warrant to legally bring him in,” Jack admitted, near scowling.

“Because you know that as his doctor and legal guardian I can declare Will unfit for such intervention and pressure if I think he’s not ready. If I think interviewing him would be detrimental to his recovery.” 

“They want to get this over with sooner rather than later Alana,” Jack sighed. “Will’s story was huge news, it still is. We aren’t any closer to cracking down on that ring and if we don’t make progress soon, we’re in hot water. Not just from higher up but from public outrage.” 

“Will is finally starting to move on with his life Jack,” Alana told him, frowning as she crossed her arms defensively over her chest. “I don’t want to set him back.” 

“If he’s better I see no reason why he can’t come in to see a team for an interview.” 

“Because Will is not _better_ ,” Alana said sharply. “Will is still struggling Jack; this is probably going to take him the rest of his life to recover from and I don’t want to see all his progress rendered to nothing just because you couldn’t wait for an interview.” 

“Will is still in danger the longer this ring is operating,” Jack pointed out. “They took him easily the first time, they could do it again and this time do much worse than put him in an auction. They could kill him Alana; he’s a survivor who could give away information about them. Not to mention that the longer this ring is operating, the more Omegas are at risk. Do you know many Omegas are snatched each week?” 

“I don’t want to know Jack,” Alana said, her voice strained and her face twisted. “I understand you’re under pressure to get this ring shut down, to stop any other Omegas being taken. But Will is still healing and I won’t let any extra stress come into his life.” 

“Alana, this ring is not just a minor issue,” Jack shot back, trying to not raise his voice. “They’re a huge, international ring who deals Omegas to billionaires all over the world. They weren’t just there in Louisiana when Will was taken, they’re in every city in every state and that’s just in this country. We’ve been trying to shut them down for _years_.” 

“And it’s awful and sick and _wrong_ ,” Alana agreed sadly. “They need to be stopped. But that’s not Will’s responsibility.” 

“We only want a brief interview,” Jack nearly cried in exasperation. “A description of what happened to him.” 

“He already gave you one when he was in the hospital when he was rescued.” 

“That statement was given under extremely fragile circumstances with very little information. We’ve left him alone for as long as we could, let him have time to heal. But we need more information Alana.” 

“Will already told you everything he knows.” 

“We need his permission to access Mason Verger’s accounts and his banking history,” Jack snapped at her. 

“Oh yes, all these bank accounts and secretive underhand dealings he knew about whilst he was locked in the same room for three years,” Alana scoffed sarcastically. “I can tell you now Jack, Will knew nothing about Mason. Mason didn’t share anything with him, he didn’t see Will as anything but a possession.” 

“I’m not saying Will would know anything,” Jack corrected her. “But in the eyes of the law, they were still bonded mates despite the circumstances of which it happened. We need Will’s permission as Mason’s mate.” 

“The law is bullshit,” Alana spat. “Will was forced into being bonded with that monster. Don’t make him go through this.” 

“We need the sister too,” Jack continued. “We need more information from Margot on Mason’s history. The organised crime branch is hoping she’ll know something about what her brother got up to when he went to the auction to buy Will.” 

“You’re pushing two very damaged people Jack,” Alana warned him, her eyes dark and protective. “You’ll be accountable if you push too hard.” 

“An interview, with both of them,” Jack persisted. “That’s all we’re asking for.” 

“It’s all you’re asking for for _now_ ,” Alana disagreed. “What about after Jack? What will you need from them after they’ve already given you everything?” 

Jack’s jaw hardened and his nostrils flared. “There are hundreds of Omegas at risk every day whilst this ring is still active. Think about that Alana.” 

“I am,” Alana bit back. “I’m thinking about the two Omegas at risk under my care right now. They need more time Jack.” 

“There’s only so much longer I can hold the organised crime branch off,” Jack insisted. “They’re chomping at the bit to get Will and Margot in for an interview.”

“Well make them wait longer,” Alana instructed, gathering her things and storming towards the door. “Psychiatric care isn’t something you just speed up.” 

With that she slammed the door behind her, leaving Jack stood in the empty class room with clenched fists and narrowed eyes. 

 

Christmas was three days away when Jack got the call. Another body. 

When he got to scene, it took all of his strength to not snap at every scurrying team member that skirted around him as if he was a ticking time bomb. Which he supposed he was, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. Christmas was three days away and he wanted a break from death. But serial killers didn’t adhere to public holidays. 

The body had been found in Baltimore’s National Aquarium. A janitor coming in for the early shift to clean up the aquarium before the working day started had found the body in one of the exhibits. The room held two vast tanks, one full of vibrant life and the other completely empty whilst repairs were being conducted on the filter system for the tank. The body had been found in the empty tank, as if the killer did not wish to disturb the peace of the other tank containing the fish. 

There was a heavy display anchor in the very centre of the tank near the glass, surrounded by rocks and coral. The Alpha attached to the anchor by a chain around the ankle was a woman this time and her death was just as poetic as the others. Jack thought this one was more grotesquely artistic. The water made the whole thing so much more dramatic. 

Her hair was a floating halo around her head, long dark tendrils weaving through the water around her. Her eyelids had been cut off to ensure her gaze was fixed and staring through the class, her skin an awful, saturated mess of wrinkles sitting around her frame. There was no visible major wound that would have caused her death and they wouldn’t know until the divers retrieved her body from the tank and she could be taken to the lab. 

The killer had gone to the painstaking task of sewing pieces of seaweed and shells into her skin, her legs a costume of aquatic features. 

“He’s sewn fish scales onto her legs,” Jimmy informed him as they approached the tank for a closer look. 

“Turned her into a real life mermaid,” Beverly sighed. “It must have taken him _days_.” 

“It looks like he kept her alive whilst he was sewing scales and seaweed and shells into her though,” Zeller added. “There should be a missing persons report for her.” 

“Look into it,” Jack muttered blandly. “Hopefully it won’t be too hard to find out who she is.” 

The woman’s arms drifted by her sides, floating in the water next to her slim waist and soft breasts. He’d impaled shards of lethal looking coral into her neck, creating a necklace. 

“They took the heart,” Zeller pointed out. “She’s been sewn back up, you can see the stitching there.” 

“Just one organ this time?” Jack enquired. “He normally takes a couple.” 

“Just the heart as far as we know,” Zeller replied. “If it is him.” 

“Who else could it be?” Jack scoffed. “Nobody else displays their victims like art after they’ve murdered them and harvested their organs.” 

“I wonder what this one means,” Beverly pondered aloud. “This one feels so different.” 

“It feels more like a display of affection rather than anger,” Jimmy agreed, studying their mermaid. “The others were all displayed cruelly. Peter Rosenthal at the brothel was impaled on poles and humiliated like an animal. Simon Kingston was a clear display of heart ache and rejection. This one seems more like he’s displaying his love. A gift.” 

“Who’s he in love with though? And why only kills Alphas?” Zeller frowned. “Do you reckon he’s a Beta?” 

“No,” Jack disagreed. “He’s an Alpha alright. He’s going after other Alphas to prove no one else can have whoever it is he’s trying to impress.” 

“An Omega, then?” Zeller suggested. 

“Considering Peter Rosenthal was impaled on a pole where the Omega mating gland is,” Beverly answered, “I’d say this an Alpha courting an Omega. Maybe Rosenthal had interest in the Omega and the killer took him out. His genitals were stuffed into his mouth after all...” 

“And Kingston was a clear display of hurt. The Omega rejected him,” Jimmy agreed. “And now the killer thinks he has a chance with the Omega again, or perhaps someone else. This is different from Rosenthal and Kingston.” 

“I think it’s the same Omega,” Jack said. “Whoever the Omega is, the killer is obsessed. He wouldn’t stop killing for him and start displaying bodies for a new Omega.” 

“A Christmas present,” Beverly concluded. “And a rather grandiose one at that.” 

 

 

“I’m sorry Hannibal but I can’t give permission for Will to leave Port Haven over night,” Alana sighed, rubbing her eyes tiredly. “I’ve only ever allowed it when he’s been sent to the hospital.” 

“Other Omegas are allowed to go home to visit their families over the Christmas period,” Hannibal pointed out, raising an eyebrow. “Why would you keep Will here on his own all day? It’s Christmas Alana. He has no family and you and Margot are spending the day with your family.”

Alana’s face twisted in discomfort. “Well, I... I’m just ensuring Will is in a safe environment.” 

“Alana,” Hannibal sighed this time. “Will has known me for practically as long as he has known you. He sees me at least multiple times a week. You’ve allowed him evenings out with me and for dinner at my home. Why is one night any different?”

“I just don’t like how it looks. Officially.” 

Hannibal gritted his teeth. 

“Come on Hannibal, you have to admit to yourself how it seems. An underage, unbounded Omega staying the night at the house of an older Alpha who’s supposed to be his psychiatrist?” 

“You’re his psychiatrist. I have never claimed that title in Will’s life and you know that. Will is not in any danger or harm from me Alana and he never has or will be. Why are you so untrusting of me all of a sudden?” 

“I’m not,” Alana insisted, folding her hands together on her desk. “I just think that the situation looks slightly odd to anyone outside the situation.” 

“It is not the concern of anyone outside of ‘the situation’,” Hannibal argued, his voice flat. “If you were worried about things appearing strange you wouldn’t have let me spend time alone with him at all.” 

“I’m liable if anything happens to him Hannibal,” Alana replied. 

“So you’d rather he sat inside of Port Haven all day, with no one to spend Christmas with? I did not think you held such contempt for him Alana.” 

“Contempt?” Alana spluttered, looking appalled. “What on earth makes you say that?” 

“What other reason would you have for keeping him isolated at a time when everyone else around him is spending time with loved ones and friends? You know he abhors Port Haven. He does not like any of the other patients and has as little as possible to do with the staff. Spending Christmas Day alone is going to be extremely difficult for him.”

“Hannibal, I...” Alana trailed off, her face looking even more tired. “I just don’t think - ”

“Have you even _thought_ about how this is going to affect Will?” Hannibal continued with his assault. “Will is going to be sat alone all day thinking about his son. He’s going to be thinking about how this would have been his first Christmas with his child. Do you not think he’s imagining sitting by a tree with Jasper, unwrapping presents with him? I thought you would have been more considerate Alana.” 

“You know what? Fine,” Alana snapped, giving in finally. “I’ll allow it. But Will needs to be back at Port Haven on the evening of Boxing Day.” 

“Wonderful,” Hannibal smoothly smiled, rising from his seat. “I’ll pick him up at eight on Christmas morning?” 

“Sure,” Alana replied, tight lipped. “This is an exception Hannibal. Just because it’s Christmas.” 

“Thank you Alana,” Hannibal forced himself to say, smiling tightly. 

Only a month to go and Will wouldn’t be constricted to Alana’s ridiculous hold anymore. Hannibal knew that when Will’s heat came around in March the Omega would most likely not let him bond with him, but by the summer Hannibal fully intended on them being bonded mates. Social services and the Omega Psychiatric Institute of Baltimore would most likely declare Will fit to leave Port Haven on the condition he still received therapy from Alana and Hannibal was going to do everything within his power to make sure Will moved in to his home after he was discharged from Port Haven. 

In his home and away from Alana and Margot and everyone else who had ever tried to interfere with Will’s life. It would all soon fall in to place, but in the mean time Hannibal had a Christmas dinner to prepare. 

 

_“Dad?”_

_Eloi Graham turned slowly to face his son. “Hey there Will.”_

_Will stiffly got out of bed, his ankles swollen and his head pounding. He looked down at his rounded, firm stomach and swallowed._

_“What are you doing here? Have you come to get me out?” Will asked, frowning as he rubbed his pregnant stomach._

_“I came to see you son.”_

_“Mason will kill you if he finds out you’re here,” Will warned him._

_Eloi looked over at the crib that lay at the foot of Will’s bed. He walked over quietly, leaning over the crib to peer inside._

_“I’m sorry I never got to met Jasper,” Eloi sighed, gazing down. “I woulda taught him how to fish.”_

_Will walked over to his side. He looked down into the crib and his throat tightened. The crib was filled with murky water, specs of grey ash floating amongst the heavy liquid like flakes of glitter in a shaken snow globe. “I’m sorry Dad.”_

_A warm, solid hand squeezed his shoulder. “S’alright Will. It was never your fault.”_

_They both looked down at Will’s protruding stomach._

_“Come on,” Eloi murmured, taking his hand. “Somethin’ you need to see.”_

_“But we can’t get out,” Will argued, rooted by the crib. “The door automatically locks when it shuts.”_

_“That don’t matter here,” Eloi smiled softly._

_Eloi walked him over to the door, grasping the door handle and pulling the door open as if it was weightless. Will said nothing as his father helped him slowly descend the stairs, his pregnant state rendering his mobility. They reached the kitchen of the Verger estate and Eloi beamed at him._

_Inside the kitchen Hannibal was stood over Mason’s dead body as it lay on the huge kitchen island. His skin was crisped from being cooked, the smell of roasted meat hitting Will’s senses. At the table on the other side of the enormous kitchen sat three small children, looking only a few years apart between them all._

_Each one of them had thick curls, two of them boys with hair as dark as Will’s and Hannibal’s amber eyes. The girl’s hair was a caramel blonde but her eyes pierced into Will as he looked back at a gaze that was a perfect carbon copy of his own._

_Eloi seated the two of them at the table and Hannibal smiled as he began carving cuts of meat from Mason’s shoulder._

_“It’s so nice to have Christmas dinner with my family,” Eloi smiled over at his son, settling his hand over Will’s._

_Will screamed._

“Will! Will, you’re having a nightmare! Calm down!” 

He blinked and found himself stood in the frozen garden of Port Haven in the anaemic sunrise. He was dressed in nothing but his underwear and a t-shirt and his toes were turning blue. 

He swayed, his legs shaking beneath him. Warm hands grasped around his elbows to keep him on his feet. 

“Where... what’s going on?” Will croaked, shivering with the approaching panic attack as his breaths shortened. 

He turned to see the nurse who usually did the night shift, Charlie. Charlie sighed and began steering him back to the warmth of Port Haven, shivering himself in the cold. 

“I’m sorry,” Will rasped, cursing the tears beginning to form in his eyes. “I didn’t mean to – to -”

“Will,” Charlie cut him off, smiling tiredly. “Don’t worry about it, ok? Let’s just get you back inside.” 

“What time is it?” 

“Almost six.” 

“I don’t want to go back to sleep.” 

“You don’t have to,” Charlie assured him. “It’s Christmas Day, remember? You’re heading over to Doctor Lecter’s.” 

“Christmas,” Will repeated, blinking dumbfoundedly. 

“Uh huh,” Charlie grunted in response, leading Will to the stairs to go back to his room. “He’s picking you up at eight o’clock. You may as well stay up.” 

Will just nodded, clearly dazed. Charlie just sighed as he returned the Omega to his room with a weary look. The orderlies had stopped locking his door at night because his sleepwalking had come to an abrupt halt after his heat, but clearly it was not as dormant as they’d all hoped. Will looked down at his stinging, stiff toes and shuffled towards the shower as the sun strained and heaved itself higher into the sky outside, light slipping through the heavy snow clouds. He tried not to think of his dream - _nightmare_ \- as he showered. He tried not to think of his father’s soft familiar drawl or of the watery crib cradling ashes. He tried not to think about the warm glow of Hannibal’s smile as he carved Mason into pieces or of the piercing eyes of the girl who’d looked too much like him. He tried not to think about the all-too-real sensation of a swollen stomach and painful joints. 

He tried to, but failed miserably. 

 

 

“Hannibal, you didn’t have to do all this,” Will mumbled. 

The Alpha merely smiled at him over the counter as he filled Will’s mug with warm, Chai tea. “I didn’t have to make you breakfast? Of course I did.” 

“But you’re letting me be here on Christmas _Day_ ,” Will frowned. “It would have been enough to let me come for dinner with you, never mind breakfast and lunch and letting me stay here for the night.” 

“‘Letting you’ is not the way I would describe it,” Hannibal mused. “I very much wanted you here and would have gone out of my way to ensure that we were together today.” 

“I’m still not sure I understand how you managed to convince Alana to let me stay overnight,” Will wondered, breathing in deeply the enticing smells coming from his mug. “You must have gone out of your way.” 

“I am not beneath guilt tripping Alana when it comes to you Will,” Hannibal confessed with a soft smile. “I made her realise that spending this day alone in a place where you hate and you do not speak to anyone would be cruelty.” 

“She’s a pushover when it comes to my loneliness,” Will muttered into his mug, rolling his eyes. “She fusses too much. I’m not a child.” 

“I imagine you feel lonely most of the time at Port Haven,” Hannibal replied as he pushed the plate of pancakes towards Will. 

He’d told Will he would make him any breakfast he liked, and although Hannibal was not particularly impressed with the choice, Will still sat before a plate of golden, fluffy pancakes dusted with powdery sugar and sweet berries, buttery warmth melting into his mouth as syrup coated his teeth. 

He moaned. 

“Hannibal,” Will breathed out in contentment. “These are incredible.” 

The Alpha walked around the counter to Will, tangling a hand in his hair and kissing his curls tenderly, smiling as he inhaled Will’s dark sweetness. “I’m glad you like them.” 

Will practically inhaled the pancakes to Hannibal’s amusement, the sight of the Omega attacking food with such enthusiasm a rare sight. Will barely had an appetite for any dish Hannibal had ever seen him eat, other than those he made himself for the boy. Will’s weight had remained at a barely plausible mass, his bones still too sharp and his face still aching to fill out into the wondrous structure Hannibal knew he would soon take on. It was too easy to start comparing Will’s face to all of the chiselled, gleaming statues he’d admired in Europe and get lost in his mind palace. 

When Will finished eating, Hannibal showed him into the living room. 

“Even your tree looks like it cost the sum amount of a small house,” Will drawled, shooting him a teasing grin. “I bet those are antique, priceless baubles.” 

“They are antiques, yes,” Hannibal smiled gently in response, linking his arms around Will’s waist as he pressed up against his back. “They have been in my family for generations.” 

“Oh,” Will responded, blinking and subconsciously settling his hands over Hannibal’s arms where they pressed against his abdomen. “I can’t imagine your family. Is that strange?” 

“No,” Hannibal assured him, nosing through soft curls. “I don’t believe I’ve ever really talked about them. You wouldn’t have much description to base your thoughts on.” 

“Would you tell me about them?” 

Hannibal settled them on the sofa. “We lived in a part of Lithuania called Aukštaitija. My sister and I were orphaned at an early age, but I still remember the Christmases I had with my parents and Mischa.” 

“What was Christmas like with your family?” Will murmured, stroking Hannibal’s knuckles with his thumb. 

“It was always a happy day,” Hannibal responded, fixing his gaze on the tree in front of them. “I suppose it was like a lot of families’ Christmas days. We ate together, exchanged presents and I remember there was even an obnoxious board game we all used to argue over. What was Christmas like for you, Will?” 

“Dad would take me fishing because we could never afford presents,” Will stated simply, unfazed. “We’d get up early and get out on the Bayou in our boat and Dad always caught something without fail. We didn’t have the money to do Christmas dinner so we’d eat whatever we caught. We had these shitty fairy lights we’d wrap around the porch and put on at night. Before we sold the TV we used to watch Christmas movies before we went to bed. He’d always polish off a bottle of whiskey to himself on Christmas night.” 

“A rather different experience from mine,” Hannibal smiled softly. “I suppose we’ll have to make a new kind of Christmas together.” 

Will grinned up at him. “I suppose we will.” 

“Would you like to open your present?” Hannibal asked him, stroking his hair back from his face. 

“You weren’t meant to get me anything,” Will scolded him, frowning. “We agreed.” 

“I couldn’t help myself. The thought of not getting you anything didn’t sit quite right with me.” 

“I’m not impressed Hannibal,” Will muttered into his neck, a small smile on his voice nonetheless. 

Hannibal simply hummed and pulled Will to the tree where a singular present lay wrapped beneath the spiky pine. He retrieved it and held the small box out to Will, who glowered at him before wrapping trembling fingers around the box. Hannibal watched in delight as he pulled the bow away and lifted the lid of smooth, golden box. 

Will pulled the set of keys out of the box, his face scrunched into a frown of dread. “Hannibal. What are these keys for?” 

“I would have wrapped the main present up but it would have seemed rather ridiculous to cover a boat in wrapping paper,” Hannibal replied, his dark eyes watching Will. 

“Excuse me?” 

“The keys are to your boat Will.”

Will studied the keys, finding the company logo on them. “A Sabre. A what, a 38 Saloon Express?” 

“Yes.” 

Will put the keys back into the box and handed it back to Hannibal. “No.” 

Hannibal’s lips pulled down slightly and Will’s gut twisted at the saddened look. “You haven’t even seen it.” 

“I know what those boats look like and I know how much they _cost_ ,” Will replied curtly. “I can’t accept this Hannibal. It’s too much; you shouldn’t have bought it.” 

“Perhaps we could look for a different make of boat - ”

“Hannibal, that’s not the point,” Will laughed incredulously. “A boat is not... that’s too much. You can’t just buy me things like that, don’t you get it? Please, I’d be happier if you arranged for it get sold on to someone else. You must have more money than sense Hannibal, going round buying boats on a whim just because you _can_ \- ” 

“Do you not like the thought of being able to go fishing again?” Hannibal interrupted, stepping closer. “I thought you might want that freedom.”

When Will looked up at his from his shoes there were tears in his eyes. “It’s too much Hannibal. Of course I want to be able to go fishing again, but Jesus, you didn’t need to buy me a _boat_ for me to be able to do that. I can’t believe...” 

“Will you at least come with me tomorrow to see it?” Hannibal pleaded, wrapping Will’s hands in his. “I’d very much like you to have it.” 

“You’re insane. I think you’ve actually lost your mind Hannibal,” Will smiled through his watery eyes. “I would have been happy with a new pack of socks Hannibal, never mind a _boat_.” 

Hannibal smiled apologetically. “I’m sorry if I upset you.” 

“Upset me?” Will laughed once again in disbelief. “I can’t – this is unbelievable.” 

Hannibal didn’t have the chance to speak again before Will closed the distance between them and kissed him deeply, his arms slinking around Hannibal’s firm shoulders and his lips practically caressed Hannibal’s. 

“You’re amazing,” Will whispered against his mouth. “Truly the most amazing person I’ve ever known. But I just can’t accept it Hannibal, on principle.”

“I see no reason why you should not accept it,” Hannibal replied, pressing his lips back to Will’s. “You like fishing, which you could do more easily with a boat.” 

Will laughed against his mouth, pulling away. “Hannibal, you may as well have bought me house when you bought that boat. Those things have little kitchens and bedrooms and a shower in them. They have two engine rooms and flat screen TVs built into the walls and - ”

“You clearly know a lot about these particular boats,” Hannibal smiled. “Which means you must like them.” 

“Well I – I don’t ... stop twisting my words. I know what those boats are like, sure, and they’re incredible. But I’m pointing all this out because I don’t need a double bed and LED lighting to go fishing Hannibal,” Will argued. “You’re forgetting I spent my whole life waist deep in the Bayou with waders on, not sat on what’s basically a small luxury yatch. My dad’s boat was a rust bucket that broke down every couple of months. This is just more than a bit crazy.” 

“I’m sorry if I’ve offended you Will. I merely wanted you to enjoy yourself.” 

Will stared at Hannibal, long and hard for a moment before making a humming noise in the back of his throat. “I’ll come see the boat with you tomorrow if it’ll make you happy. But I still want you to sell it on, give it away, donate it; I don’t care.” 

“Excellent,” Hannibal grinned. “It’s berthed at Chesapeake Bay. We’ll drive out there tomorrow and you can see it for yourself. I’m certain you’ll fall in love with it.” 

Hannibal had no intention of selling Will’s Christmas present and Will knew this too, deep down. He’d be keeping the boat and would get Will out sailing on it and catching fish if it was the last damn thing he ever did on this earth. 

They spent the rest of their day enjoying Hannibal’s elegant cooking, talking about their childhoods and Hannibal endured a few hours of tedious Christmas movies that were on TV at Will’s request. It grew dark outside quickly and the evening found them slotted together on the sofa, Hannibal’s fire place blazing with warmth as they stared into the crackling orange before them. 

Will looked up at the Alpha and stroked his fingers down his cheek, smiling in contentment. “This has been perfect Hannibal. Thank you.” 

“Even though I put you through the stress of receiving a boat?” Hannibal teased, pulling Will closer. 

“Yes, even when you did such a heinous thing,” Will retorted, grinning. “I want every Christmas to be like this.” 

“Then it shall be,” Hannibal said simply, gazing earnestly at Will. “I would strive to make every day one that you enjoy Will.” 

“Why are you so good to me?” Will asked suddenly, chewing his lip. 

“Because I find you to be the most remarkable, precious presence I’ve ever found myself in,” Hannibal replied honestly. “I could spend a hundred lifetimes with you and still want another hundred, you fascinate me so. I’ve never found myself so drawn to anybody before.” 

_Because there is a bountiful darkness in you that I wish to spend my whole life exploring_ , Hannibal thought to himself. _Because you skinned Mason Verger and then gutted him. Because I want to make you happy. Because your eyes are the most breathtaking thing I’ve ever seen._

“You always said you didn’t want a relationship,” Will remembered, fingers still drifting against Hannibal’s face. “Sorry I ruined that for you.” 

“You’ve done nothing but open my eyes,” Hannibal corrected him. “And I didn’t believe I would ever find myself interested in another person long enough to sustain anything meaningful with them. And now here we are, promising that our next Christmas will be just as wonderful as this one.” 

Will moved forwards and caught their lips together again, slowly and carefully. Hannibal cradled the back of his skull and slipped a hand under Will’s sweatshirt to palm over sharp ribs. Will sighed into their kiss, smoothing his hands through Hannibal’s hair and over his broad, muscled back. Will’s mind flashed back to Mason’s forced kisses, his unwelcome and quite frankly terrifying weight pressed on top of him and for a split second Will thinks he may have another episode. But Hannibal’s weight feels so natural against him, never uncomfortable and just the right amount of pressure to make Will feel as though he’s being covered and worshipped. His body practically sings with approval. 

Will pulls away from their kiss, chest rising and falling a little quicker than usual. “I want you to take me to bed.” 

Hannibal tenderly kisses the junction of his jaw and throat and ear. “Are you sure Will?” 

“I’m completely sure Hannibal,” Will murmured. “I want you. All of it, every last bit.” 

Hannibal drew them up from the couch and led Will to the stairs without another word. He held Will’s hand tightly in his own as he drew him into his bedroom, shutting the door softly behind them as Will’s eyes swept over the sleek environment of the Alpha’s room. He hadn’t expected anything less from Hannibal. 

Will blinked and found himself sat on the edge of Hannibal’s excruciatingly comfortable mattress, feeling incredibly small on the bed that he was pretty sure could host a full blown orgy. He looked down to see Hannibal knelt between his legs, slipping Will’s shoes off. He watched in fascination as Hannibal pulled away his socks and kissed each of his bare feet, lips pressing gently to the white skin and fingers curling around bony ankles. The Alpha’s long fingers unbuckled his belt, pulling it free from the loops of his jeans. A gentle but firm hand pushed down in the middle of his chest to send Will back against the mattress, his wide eyes gazing up at Hannibal. 

He crawled onto the bed on top of Will, thighs on either side of his waist as he bent down and softly kissed his parted lips. Will’s hands fluttered over Hannibal’s knees, sliding up his thighs to reach Hannibal’s own belt. He somehow managed to shakily unbuckle it and unzip Hannibal’s fly, pulling his shirt out from where it was tucked into the trousers. Hannibal paused to slide his jeans off and discard them on the floor and it only took a few more dizzying moment until the pair of them were freed from every last piece of clothing. 

Will marvelled at the way their legs tangled together, the contrast of his slimmer, paler _Omega_ legs twined between Hannibal’s long limbs dusted with darker hairs and bulging with toned muscle in certain places. Will’s hands skirted along the rippling tendons and muscles of Hannibal’s back, the feel of warm and firm skin layered over tightly wound muscles such a satisfying sensation. Hannibal’s cock grazed his own, the two rutting their hips together as they kissed whilst Will allowed small gasps to escape into Hannibal’s mouth. 

Everything about Hannibal made his stomach twist and his heart tighten with anticipation, his skin prickling with goose bumps. Will allowed himself to address his curiosity as to how much his physical attraction to Hannibal was because the man was older. It _was_ pleasing and Will couldn’t deny it. The fine lines of the map of Hannibal’s face, the streaked grey through his hair and his entire manner screamed of experience. It made a small fire burn in Will’s pelvis at Hannibal’s capability, a purely Omegan reaction to the knowledge that a potential mate was experienced and therefore _better_ , more likely to be able to please an Omega and care for them. It worked the other way around; Alphas quite often sought out younger mates when their biology compelled them to be attracted to sweet, fresh faces and scents that exuded to fertility. 

Hannibal was humming against his throat, lips sucking his skin in to his mouth just hard enough that it wouldn’t bruise. “I think I could spend days kissing you from head to toe.” 

“I wouldn’t mind that,” Will replied lazily, his voice heavy with arousal. “I think I’d quite enjoy it.” 

Hannibal smiled against his throat. “You smell wonderful when you’re like this. Still you, but amplified beyond belief. It’s overwhelming.” 

Hannibal stretched up to kiss him again whilst one hand wrapped itself around the side of Will’s throat and the other ventured downwards to softly grasp Will’s straining cock and indulge him in slow, torturous strokes. Will hissed between his teeth and arched his spine at the waves of pleasure burning through him as the Alpha stroked him, his tongue lost deep in Will’s mouth. Hannibal held him in place as he flicked his wrist to work Will’s cock, the heat and pressure building in Will’s lower abdomen. 

Will pulled back gasping. “I’m going to come if you keep doing that.”

“That’s what I’m aiming for,” Hannibal smiled slyly. “Don’t worry darling, I’m planning on bringing you to orgasm more than once tonight.” 

Will’s breath caught in his throat and Hannibal’s wrist flicked again and he smelt so _good_ \- and then his spine was arching right off the bed into Hannibal’s chest as he came in hard spurts, gasping in the Alpha’s heady scent. His thighs soaked themselves with his slick, the liquid weeping out between his legs as he writhed in Hannibal’s arms. 

“That’s it,” Hannibal soothed him, his eyes glazed over in wonder. 

Will keened into his mouth, scrambling to pull Hannibal on top of him more and get between his legs. Hannibal let him, his arms caging Will’s head in on either side of the pillow whilst the Omega’s legs parted to let him settle between them. 

Will threw his head back when the first finger stroked against his hole. “ _Fuck_.” 

Hannibal manoeuvred himself so that his head was between Will’s legs, running his tongue along the shining slick that coated his inner thigh, moaning at the taste. He trailed his tongue further inwards and slowly pressed his tongue over the Omega’s entrance. Will went rigid, crying out sharply, all the encouragement Hannibal needed to delve his tongue back in. Will’s thighs quivered on either side of him as he swirled his tongue against his hole and sucked, grinning at the delectable noises the Omega was making. 

Will’s body swallowed his fingers just as eagerly as it had done when he’d bent Will over the chair in his office. Soft moans were getting caught in his mouth and throat as he wriggled desperately onto the digits, Hannibal watching with hunger as he tried to fuck himself on his fingers. He pinned Will to the bed by his hip, his large hand splaying out across his creamy skin. 

“Hannibal, please,” Will whined, fisting the sheets tightly as a flush spread over his chest. “I want you _in_ me.” 

“Patience mylimasis,” Hannibal soothed him. “Let me have this; let me take my time with you.” 

Will just bit his lip as his head fell back against the pillow. Hannibal stroked his fingers against Will’s walls, brushing over his prostate and making him swear into the heavy air of the bedroom. He grinned in satisfaction, rubbing his fingertips against the small bump whilst Will twisted with near unbearable pleasure beneath him. Hannibal’s three fingers were dripping when he pulled them from  
Will’s body, meeting the Omega’s dark eyes as he slipped his fingers into his own mouth, tasting Will like nectar. Will hissed in satisfaction when Hannibal bent over him again and kissed him. 

“Don’t you want me on my hands and knees?” Will managed to get out in between heaving breaths. 

“No, darling,” Hannibal assured him, kissing his pulse point. “I want to see how beautiful you are when I take you.” 

“Oh,” Will rasped, trembling. “Mason only ever had me on my hands and knees, I thought...” 

“Ssh,” Hannibal soothed him, stroking back his hair. “We are different people Will and I want to cherish every part of you when we do this. Will you let me?” 

Will nodded frantically, kissing Hannibal deeply in confirmation. Hannibal hooked one of Will’s knees over his shoulder and gripped the side of his throat again with the other. Will’s hands clung to his waist and hips as he lined himself up against Will, meeting his eyes and holding them as he slowly sank into Will’s welcoming warmth. 

Will’s lips trembled in an open ‘O’ shape, his eyebrows arching down to almost meet together at the top of his nose and his eyelids fluttering. Hannibal growled into Will’s calf muscle that rested to his side, slung over his shoulder, nearly shuddering at the tight, wet heat around his cock. 

“Perfect,” Will gasped out. “You feel so perfect.” 

Hannibal kissed his leg, breath shaky as he slowly withdrew his hips a fraction before bringing their groins flush again. “More,” Will groaned, sweating. “Please Hannibal.” 

Hannibal gently pulled his hips back as requested, a little further this time, and then sank back in again. Will writhed with each thrust, nails sinking into Hannibal’s flanks with delicious sharpness as Hannibal’s usually flawlessly styled hair fell into his eyes as he pushed into Will with purpose. Will’s breaths left his mouth as soft pants, the sensation of being stretched and pushed in to with such loving strokes making him feel dizzy. The bedroom was filled with Hannibal’s purring, his chest releasing constant rumbles of satisfaction at the sight of Will flushed and wanton beneath him, intently watching the way his cock slipped back into Will each time he pushed his hips. 

Will scrambled for Hannibal, pulling his leg off of the Alpha’s shoulder and hooking his arms around his neck, bringing their chests flush against each other and Hannibal’s hips pressed against his ass. The position drew Hannibal in deeper, making Will choke on a moan and his eyes nearly rolled back in his head. Hannibal’s lips were on his ear, mouthing over his neck and his jaw whilst he whispered words dripping with endearment and adoration in a language Will didn’t understand. Will’s legs snaked around Hannibal’s waist and his ankles crossed over behind the Alpha’s back as his arms looped around his neck. 

“Kiss me,” Hannibal hissed against his jaw, teeth grazing Will’s hot flesh. 

He turned his head immediately, their lips meeting in a fluster of moans and tongues. Hannibal could feel the slick spreading over both of their lower halves as he rutted his hips against Will’s ass, wetness caressing over their thighs and seeping into Hannibal’s bed sheets. Bed sheets he would probably never be able to bring himself to wash again. 

Hannibal’s cock kissed his prostate with every thrust, meeting the sensitive nub in an explosion of white heat every time and making sobs cluster in Will’s chest. Hannibal was fucking him so earnestly, every part of their bodies pressed together other than the momentary break in contact when his hips moved back. It was heavenly, Will’s blood thrumming through his veins and his balls drawing up tighter again. Hannibal felt him clench around him. 

“Will you come for me again, mylimasis?” Hannibal purred into the hollow of his throat, his tongue snaking out to taste the gathering sweat there. “Is it that good?” 

“Too good,” Will managed to get out, disorientated with pleasure. “I can’t... Hannibal -”

Hannibal growled against his pulse, teeth nipping against the Omega’s skin. His gums and teeth _ached_ to bite. “Do you want my knot Will? Do you need me to fill you whilst you come for me?” 

“Please,” Will whispered, the tight bundle of heat behind his navel constricting as his release approached. “Please Hannibal, knot – I need you to... to...”

Hannibal silenced him with a kiss and grinded brutally against his ass, swallowing Will’s splutters and whines. 

His body contorted suddenly, jerking up against Hannibal’s and near sobbing as he came, his ass stretching as Hannibal’s knot wedged itself into his body. The Alpha hissed in pleasure, his eyes blazing as he withdrew from Will and found his teeth sinking into Will’s chest, just below his collar bone. Will writhed beneath him, gasping for air like he was drowning as his orgasm ripped through his body and he felt the hot gush of Hannibal’s come coating his insides and joining his slick as his knot pulsed. 

“ _Oh_ ,” Will keened, the room spinning. 

Hannibal was shuddering above him, his own orgasm wracking through his body as he lapped at the broken skin on Will’s chest. 

It seemed to last forever, the sensation of it making Will feel as though he had practically been _invaded_ by Hannibal, breathing, smelling, seeing and hearing nothing but the Alpha. His touch was everywhere, his body fused with Will’s and it made Will see starbursts behind his fluttering eye lashes. Hannibal’s hands slid up his arms to his neck then to his face, kissing him like it was the first time his lips had ever met Will’s. 

They didn’t speak as they lay tangled on Hannibal’s bed, locked together by Hannibal’s knot as they scented each other, hands roaming everywhere. Will’s body contracted around him once more, the movement making Hannibal shiver and tense as another wave of orgasm passed through him. Hannibal’s hold on him didn’t loosen once as they drifted further towards post-coital unconsciousness, eyelids growing heavy and lungs regulating themselves whilst sleep pulled them closer. 

Will didn’t have the ability to speak then, his mind elsewhere. It was probably just as well, otherwise he might have said something stupid about love.


	15. Fifteenth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will's soul is laid bare, Hannibal makes a dark discovery and Jack is intrigued.

Hannibal’s heart swelled at the sight of Will wrapped up in multiple layers of jumper and scarf and coat cautiously climbing up on to the boat. His cerulean eyes drifted over the bow of the boat from behind his glasses, his hands shoved inside of his coat pockets to keep them shielded from the biting December air. Hannibal held back a few paces behind, watching him slowly take step after step along the boat. He wanted this image to be burned into his memory forever; desperately scrambling to construct another section of his mind palace, his own personal body of water in the grounds of his mind cupping Will stood on the boat in the grey morning. 

“Why did Margot come to your office to see you?” Will asked, trailing a hand along the railing as he stared down at the water. 

Hannibal tried not to appear jostled by the sudden question. “She told you?” 

“No. I smelt her on you that afternoon, smelt her in your office the next time I came over.” 

“She wanted to discuss your therapy.” 

“Don’t lie,” Will reprimanded him, the wind carding through his dark curls. “What did she want?” 

“She was enquiring about our relationship,” Hannibal answered carefully, observing Will shuffle down into the cabin. He followed slowly. 

“Is that another lie Dr. Lecter?”

Hannibal leant against the wall on his side, sighing. “No. She was intent on informing me that I would find myself in an uncomfortable position if she had reason to believe I had harmed you or upset you.” 

“She had no right to do that.” 

“She is adamant that she is only protecting you.” 

“This is about _us_ , Hannibal. It’s not about Alana, or Margot or anyone else. You should have told her to get out of your office and never come back.” 

“She’s important to you. I didn’t want to offend her for your sake. And besides, I admire her protectiveness of you, despite its tediousness.” 

“What did she say to you?” 

Will had his back turned to him, fingers grasped tightly around the boat’s wheel. Hannibal took a deep breath. 

“She told me she knew you were at Muskrat Farm the whole three years you were there. That she saw you every day, cared for you and tried her best to watch over you.”  
Will’s shoulders visibly stiffened. “What else did she tell you?” 

“I think you already know what she told me, Will.” 

“No; I don’t. I need to hear you say it.” 

He didn’t hear the Alpha move, but suddenly felt his warmth right behind his back. He didn’t move, just closed his eyes and waited. 

“She told me that Mason’s death was not a freak accident at all.” 

“Hannibal, _don’t_. I need to hear you say it out loud.” 

“You killed him,” Hannibal murmured softly, his lips brushing against the back of Will’s ear. “You saw what he did to your son and you _slaughtered_ him.” 

Will swallowed, hands flying out to catch Hannibal’s arms to keep himself upright. Hannibal’s large, strong hands curled through his hair and turned him around, forcing Will’s face up to meet his eyes. Hannibal looked exhilarated and Will found himself breathless at his reaction. 

“You near beat him to unconsciousness and then skinned his face,” Hannibal breathed, eyes shining with wonder. “You stabbed him repeatedly in the chest and then gutted him.” 

Will didn’t care that he was shaking. Hannibal had seen it all already. “Are you going to tell the police what I did?” 

“Why on earth would I do that?” Hannibal replied, his face clouding with distaste. 

“Because I _killed_ my mate,” Will mumbled in shock. “I went along with Margot’s lie and told the FBI that Mason’s death was an accident. I murdered someone Hannibal.” 

“As did Mason,” Hannibal replied. “Do you think that he would have been arrested for what he did, had you not taken action? He would have most likely blamed you for Jasper’s death. Your instincts were to protect Will; how could anyone blame you for that?” 

“How was it instinct to _skin_ somebody? That might be a plausible explanation if I’d gone for his throat and choked him, but I didn’t. I brutalised him, Hannibal, and I enjoyed every moment of it. I did the only thing I could to make him pay for taking Jasper’s life.” 

“Rage forces us to have tunnel vision,” Hannibal insisted. “You were pushed Will. You let him push and push for three years and you allowed him. But when he killed Jasper, it made you snap, made you lose control of everything you held on to so tightly.” 

“How can you stand here with me knowing what I did?” Will demanded, his eyes flecked with hard flints of blue. “How can you even look at me knowing that I have the ability to turn into... into _that_?” 

“You were reacting to the death of your child,” Hannibal soothed him, carding a hand through his hair. “He deserved it.” 

Will flinched. “You don’t sound very much like a psychiatrist right now Hannibal.” 

Hannibal’s eyes were dark as he slid closer to Will, smiling gently. “I would have done the same thing, if not worse. You’re not a monster Will, you don’t have to let the guilt keep plaguing you. I _understand_.”

“You don’t want to go to the police? Or at least even tell Alana?” Will asked in disbelief. 

“I want to protect you,” Hannibal murmured, his voice like velvet. “What you did to Mason does not repulse me, Will. It only compels me to keep you safe even more than I already feel the need to.” 

“You’d stay with me, knowing what I’ve done? What I’m capable of?” 

“You could have taken hundreds of lives and I would still want to spend every moment at your side. Don’t you see Will?” Hannibal smiled gently, cupping Will’s face in his hands. “I want you to _feel_ , to let yourself indulge in every dark part of your soul. It’s beautiful.” 

“How can you think it’s beautiful that I killed somebody?” Will hissed, eyes growing wide. 

“You didn’t just kill anybody Will, you sought revenge for your son and to right the wrongs Mason inflicted on you. _That_ is what I find beautiful.” 

Will shook his head. “Why the fuck did she tell you all of this?” 

“Margot is testing my loyalty and trust to you. She thinks that by knowing what you did, I will either betray you or look after you. She threatened to go to the FBI and tell them about Mason’s murder in order to separate us if she believed I was bad for you.” 

“She would have me thrown in a hospital for the criminally insane to keep us apart,” Will deadpanned. “She’ll stab me in the back to keep us apart if she thinks you’re going to hurt me.” 

“I don’t think I possess the ability to ever cause you harm Will,” Hannibal told him softly. 

“We all have the ability to hurt each other,” Will disagreed, frowning at him. “Don’t be naive Hannibal.” 

“You think I could ever cause you upset? Intentionally hurt you?” 

“That’s not... no. I mean we all have the capacity to hurt and maim and lie. It’s whether we choose to act upon it or not.”

“And are you thinking about acting upon your ability to hurt Margot?” Hannibal asked cautiously. 

“Margot is all I have left.” 

“Not strictly true, Will,” Hannibal corrected him. “You have Alana. You have me.” 

“You don’t know me like Margot does. Alana is fucking clueless.” 

“And how does Margot know you, Will?” Hannibal pressed, watching their breaths curl in fingers of steam in the freezing air. “How does she know you in ways I don’t?” 

“Until you set my bones back in place, mop up my blood, stitch my face back together and spoon feed me because I can’t move a single limb and my jaw is broken, you don’t know me like she does,” Will answered, his voice hard but not intentionally cruel. It hurt all the same. 

Hannibal grazed his thumb along Will’s cheekbone, grimacing sadly. 

“Until you let me cry into your neck for an entire night because I lost another baby for the umpteenth time or sponge blood off my thighs after I’m raped, you don’t know me in the same way Margot does. She’s sick and twisted in her own way, I’ll give you that. I’ll be the first to admit she’s heartless. But for some reason she has heart for me, and as much as I want to lash out at her for threatening you, I can’t,” Will continued, swallowing hard. “I share a past with her, Hannibal. I never wanted to and I would give her up in a heartbeat if it meant I could erase that past and she would too, but we can’t. We’re stuck with each other and we’re stuck with what we did to Mason for the rest of our lives.” 

“What about your future Will?” Hannibal insisted firmly. “What about the life you’re going to have? Do you honestly think you can ever be free of Mason if you carry this around with you your whole life Margot will keep you tethered to him for the rest of your life if you don’t make room for others.” 

“Don’t try to manipulate me,” Will replied softly, a faint smile ghosting his lips. “You mean if I don’t make room for you, but I already am Hannibal. I’m already offering you everything I can. And you’re right; Margot is going to keep me tethered to him forever, but that would have happened anyway. I am always going to be connected to that monster.” 

“You could break free from it Will,” Hannibal almost growled. “You don’t have to carry him inside of you anymore. Don’t you see the opportunity and freedom you have?” 

Will wrenched himself out of his grip, his mouth twisting and his eyes flashing with pain. “Tell me something. Do you still hold Mischa inside of you? Do you still feel connected to your mother? To your father?” 

Hannibal’s jaw hardened. “It’s not the same. I loved them.” 

“I loved _Mason_ ,” Will spat. “I loved him because he sank his teeth into my fucking neck. Where’s the fucking justice in that Hannibal? He _made_ me love him.” 

“The justice was when you ended his miserable, pathetic life,” Hannibal snapped. “Your feelings towards Mason were purely based on your bond. It’s dissolved Will, it’s _gone_. You can love and b - ”

“I can bond with someone else?” Will cut him off, his eyes blazing with heat. “I can just get on my hands and knees and let another Alpha have me? Is that going make it all better Hannibal? Will that just mean I don’t think about him anymore?” 

“I have not once implied that,” Hannibal said coldly. “I merely wanted to point out that such things have been proven to _help_. Omegas who bond again after the death of their mates adapt better to life again compared to those who never bond again.”

“I’m not like other Omegas,” Will muttered. “Omegas don’t do what _I_ did. They don’t carve up their mates. And who would you have me shipped off and bonded to Hannibal? _You_?” 

Hannibal’s nostrils flared and he stepped closer to Will again. “The entire reason I find myself wanting you is because you are _not_ like other Omegas. You’re not like anyone else Will, and it’s breathtaking. And I would not have you ‘shipped off’ and bonded to anyone. I would have you set about your life making every decision on your own; I would have you making full use of your freedom.” 

Will laughed bitterly and shook his head. “You don’t want me Hannibal. I’m not the glorified version of myself you’ve created in your head for some reason. I _detest_ who I am and it makes me sick to know I’m capable of doing that to another person.” 

“Don’t presume to know what I do and do not want Will,” Hannibal warned him. “And it hurts to hear you say those words; it makes me want to put you where I stand so you can see what I do.” 

Will opened his mouth to reply, but tears started to clog his vision and his throat grew too thick. Hannibal’s eyes softened and he cautiously cupped Will’s jaw again. 

“Trying to hurt me will not push me away,” Hannibal murmured gently. “Trying to cast yourself in a certain light won’t make me react the way you wish I would, but I understand why you’re doing it. I’m not leaving Will.”

“And why do you think I’m doing it?” Will asked through gritted teeth, swallowing the burning, harsh lump in his throat. 

“Because you cannot fathom that anyone would want you knowing what you did. What you are. But what you are, Will Graham,” Hannibal rumbled, “is astonishing. You are stronger than anyone I have ever met and I find myself completely helpless to you. Devoted to you, even if you would push me away for seeing past the lies you tell the world. I don’t care for lies Will, I don’t care for what is right or _wrong_. Such things do not and never will apply to you. You’re exempt from it all.” 

Will shuddered. “I am terrified Hannibal. I’m terrified of the world and how I’m supposed to fit in to it.” 

“You don’t have to fit in to anything, mylimasis. And if there is ever a reason that you do need to, I will carve the world to fit around _you_.” 

“I don’t think I’ll ever understand you,” Will laughed honestly through his salty vision and stinging mouth. 

“It’s not me you’re struggling to understand,” Hannibal sighed softly. “It’s yourself. What you did, Will, I know it scares you. But you have to remember in the face of Mason’s actions, the way you killed him was not exactly unfair. It was justified and it does not repulse me or make me think differently of you at all.” 

“You’ll help me?” Will asked, eyes wide and pleading. 

Hannibal nodded. “I would do anything you asked me to.” 

Will fell into his chest, seizing his arms around Hannibal’s warm, solid heat. “I want to thank you but it doesn’t begin to cover it.” 

Hannibal hummed into his hair, inhaling Will’s vibrant scent and grinning. “You can thank me by agreeing to keep your Christmas present.” 

Will nipped his throat with his teeth but remained silent, letting them sway in the cabin of the boat and breathe in their scents that were starting to smell alarmingly similar. 

 

 

“Have a good Christmas Will?” 

Will flinched at the closeness of the voice, turning around to see the mud-eyed Alpha that sat behind him in class. “What?” 

“Just asking if you enjoyed your Christmas,” the Alpha smiled. “I’m Gregory, by the way. I realised we’ve been chatting this whole time and I never introduced myself.” 

“Right,” Will replied tightly, his voice harsh. 

Gregory looked at him expectantly, not moving. “So?” 

“So what?” Will snapped, clutching his bag tighter. “Listen, I don’t mean to be rude but I’d rather you didn’t try and talk to me after every class has finished. I can’t hang around.” 

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Gregory apologised, his eyes flashing. “I was only being friendly.” 

“Goodbye, Gregory,” Will muttered, pushing away from the desk. Hannibal was waiting for him outside. 

“You know, it’s a real pity. What happened to you,” Gregory called out behind him, nonchalant. 

Will froze, but did not turn back around. “What are you talking about?”

“I was _horrified_ when they found you at the Verger estate,” Gregory continued. “When they pulled you out of that place and stuck you in that psychiatric nut house.” 

“That’s really none of your business,” Will shot back at him. “Don’t you have anything better to do than stalk people in your fucking night school classes?” 

“I didn’t need to do anything to find out,” Gregory defended himself. “It was all over the news. TV, newspapers, Internet... we couldn’t get away from your face.” 

“That was nearly seven months ago,” Will retorted, eyes blazing. “Surely there’s new news by now.” 

“What was it like?” Gregory grinned, practically vibrating with a sly, dark energy. “Living with Mason Verger?” 

“I did not _live_ with him,” Will seethed. “And if you speak to me again I will move myself to a different set of classes. I didn’t come here to be harassed by creeps like you. Stay the fuck away from me.” 

Will darted for the door, sweat prickling down his back. 

“See you next week Will,” Gregory called out behind him as he vanished through the door. 

Will practically threw himself into Hannibal’s car when he got outside, breath ragged. 

“What’s gotten you so flustered?” Hannibal quizzed him, frowning a little. “You smell... distressed. And like another Alpha.” 

“The same weird Alpha who tries to talk to me every week,” Will spat, scrubbing his hands over his face tiredly. “Can we please just go? I don’t want him to walk out and see me with you.” 

“Why not?” 

Will shot him a warning look but then hissed as he saw the college’s entrance doors open seconds later, Gregory’s figure appearing in the fluorescent lighting. He smiled directly at the Bentley when he saw Will. Then his eyes trailed to the driver seat and he locked eyes with Hannibal. 

“I’m assuming that’s him,” Hannibal said dryly, his voice dripping with disgust. 

“Yes. Now can we please just go?” Will pleaded. “He’s a fucking creep.” 

Hannibal did not move for nearly a full minute, staring straight back at Gregory who had not budged an inch. Hannibal’s eyes blazed and finally Gregory’s mouth twitched up into a sneer and he slunk away to the side and through the parking lot, disappearing from view. 

“Did you have to be such a typical, pissy, territorial _Alpha_?” Will groaned as the engine purred to life. 

Hannibal shot him a look and Will dropped his eyes and shut his mouth. The drive back to Port Haven was silent. When they arrived Hannibal shut off the engine in the dark, empty parking lot, studying the soft glow of Port Haven in front of them. They didn’t move. 

“I’m sorry if I upset you Will. It was insensitive of me, but I don’t like the situation.” 

“He’s just a sad nobody who finds it amusing to get under my skin,” Will sighed. “He’ll get bored eventually. He’s just messing with me because he knows who I am.”

“Your story is dying down in the news Will. Why would he... I suppose it doesn’t matter. There are all sorts of strange people in the world.” 

“I wish you’d driven off when I asked,” Will grumbled. “He’s probably gotten all sorts of ideas now, the way it looked.” 

“The way what looked?” 

“Me, getting into your car and you being... _you_. He probably thought you were like... like – I don’t even want to say it,” Will winced. 

“You think it looked like you are engaging in a sexual relationship with me in return for the basis of my financial situation because of the very obvious age gap between us,” Hannibal offered, smirking. “I believe people use the term ‘Sugar Daddy’ to describe such a set up.” 

Will glowered. “Yes. That’s what he probably thought.” 

“And you’re concerned that he would do something such as try and turn it into a story to sell to the media.” 

“Probably,” Will replied, tight lipped and unease settling in the oceans of his eyes. “I’m surprised he didn’t try and get a camera out and photograph us.” 

“Small mercies, Will,” Hannibal chuckled. “I will park out of the way when I next pick you up.” 

Will just hummed, shaking his head. He leant over and chastely kissed Hannibal’s mouth, warm and gentle on his lips before he was throwing the door open. “I’d better go. I’ll see you soon?” 

“Yes. And I expect you to actually _tell_ me if you sleep walk tonight, not lie to me like you did about the last time,” Hannibal chided him. “Goodnight Will.” 

The Alpha watched Will safely encapsulate himself in Port Haven before pulling away. 

 

Hannibal saw Will for their usual ‘conversations’ the next week. He went to the Opera; they were still all mourning Peter Rosenthal. He analysed his patients. He had Will and Alana for dinner. He had Will over his desk in his office, eyes rolling and chest heaving with moans. He waited in the shadows of Baltimore City Community College the night Alana picked Will up and watched the Alpha that sneered at his Omega. He followed him. 

Hannibal thought he knew a lot about most people, but he had not expected the man to be what he was. 

 

“Thank you for coming in today Will,” Jack announced stiffly, glancing at him wearily as if Will carried some sort of contagious disease. 

Will tried his hardest not to roll his eyes at the Alpha’s not so subtle discomfort. “It’s ok. I would have come sooner if I’d known you needed a further statement from me, but I’m guessing that’s Dr. Bloom’s doing.” 

Jack cracked him a surprised smile. “Yes. I’ll admit I’ve been hounding her for a while now but she refused to let me anywhere near you.” 

“She thinks I’m fragile,” Will replied tiredly. “I’m not.” 

Jack just glanced at him and cleared his throat, opening the door to the interview room and leading Will inside. There were two Betas sat inside, two women. The sensible charcoal grey of their suits seemed utterly boring to Will, so accustomed to plaid and paisley and rich colours. But then again, not everyone was Hannibal Lecter. 

“Good afternoon Mr. Graham,” one of them smiled, standing up to offer him a handshake. “Thank you for coming in to see us. I’m Agent Janice Williams and this is Agent Miranda Kennedy.” 

Will gingerly shook her hand, ending the unwanted contact as soon as he could. Jack sat down next to him, opposite to the two Betas and watched them shuffle papers and click the recording device into action. 

“So, Mr. Graham,” Miranda began. “I trust you’re finding life at Port Haven comfortable?” 

“More comfortable then the Verger Estate, yes,” Will replied dryly. “Please call me Will.” 

“Alright Will,” Miranda corrected herself with a small smile. “As Agent Crawford has already briefed you, we’re conducting this interview to create a more detailed report on what happened to you three years ago. We’re following a lead on the Omega trafficking ring that Mason Verger bought you from and were hoping you could shine a little light on it for us.” 

Will rattled off the day, time and exact location he was at when he was taken. “I’m afraid I can’t give much more detail than what I already gave when Agent Crawford took the first statement. All I remember is somebody getting up behind me and putting a rag over my mouth soaked in chloroform. I was out in an instant.” 

“Was this individual male, female? Were you aware of the secondary sex?” Janice quizzed him. 

“From what I could tell it was a man. Chloroform makes it a little difficult to detect what someone’s secondary sex is,” Will replied coarsely. “You know. With the smell and all.” 

Jack observed in amusement that the Omega was making the two agents look stupid. 

“I see,” Janice replied tersely. “And in your original statement you say that you lost consciousness and woke up again in a room, alone?” 

“I don’t know how much time passed in between passing out and waking up. I hadn’t felt right all day, the day I was taken. I felt ill and feverish but I had no idea I was presenting as an Omega; I’d always thought I was a Beta. When I woke up I was tied to the bed with restraints and I was in heat.” 

“And did you have any idea where you were?” 

“None. The room was bare and from what I could see out of the window from the bed was just the sky. It could have been anywhere.” 

“And then your captor made an entrance?” 

“She was a Beta. She came in and told me I was in heat, but she never told me anything else.”

Miranda nodded. “We’ll have to get you to give a description to a forensic artist, to create a visual profile. And of anyone else you saw whilst you were there. We can arrange for that next week.” 

Will shrugged. “Alright.” 

“Will, can you tell us what happened whilst you were in that room?” Janice pressed him, leaning forwards. 

“I went into heat. I don’t remember much of it, other than that it was excruciating. The woman brought me food and water and used to untie me every couple of hours and make me piss into a pot. Lasted about five days,” Will responded flatly, his voice harsh and eyes gleaming. 

Miranda’s lips twisted into a look of distaste. “And when your heat was over?” 

“She came back one day with two other men, Betas. They untied me and blindfolded me before I got out of the room and put me in the back of a van, drove for about an hour. I’m not too sure. My sense of time wasn’t too great,” Will sighed. “I was kept blind the whole time. When we got to the auction I was stripped naked and collared.” 

“Was there anything else you remember? Any noises or smells? Anything to indicate where this auction was taking place?” 

“Nothing,” Will replied. “All I remember was the auctioneer definitely didn’t sound like he was from Louisiana and thinking that I was a long way from home.” 

“Can you tell me what happened at the auction Will?” Janice asked, scribbling notes furiously. 

“I could hear voices; I don’t know how many, maybe twenty? I was led on to what I guess was a stage; I had to crawl up some stairs. It was deathly silent when they saw me. The auctioneer started bids for me at seventy thousand dollars and it kept going until Mason bought me for three hundred and fifty thousand. I got hauled off again, shoved in to another van and what I’m guessing was a few hours later, I was delivered to his house. He had me put in the bedroom he kept me in straight away and kept me blindfolded.” 

“Did Mr. Verger ever talk to you of the auction or who he bought you from?” 

“I asked him the day I got there what was going on. He said he’d bought me.” 

“And he never brought it up again with you or shared any other information?” Janice pressed eagerly. “It’s important that you remember as much as you can Will.” 

“Mason went out of his way to only speak to me when he was tormenting me Agent Williams. He never brought the auction up ever again after I asked him what was going on,” Will gritted out, hands curling in to tense fists underneath the table. “That’s the only information I can give you I’m afraid.” 

“Thank you Will,” Miranda murmured. “There is another matter we need your help with. A legal matter.” 

“What do you need?” Will asked cautiously. 

“Everybody who knows your case knows that you suffered greatly at the Verger estate. However, in the eyes of the law, you are still viewed as Mason’s mate,” Janice began slowly, wincing. “We understand this is indelicate of the law, Will, but in order for the FBI to access an Alpha’s financial history and accounts, we’re required to obtain permission from the deceased’s mate.” 

Will blinked. “You’re right. That _is_ indelicate. It’s downright offensive to even ask me, Agent Williams, because that implies I had some sort of _choice_ in being bonded to Mason Verger. It ignores the fact that I was a fourteen year old that was snatched off the streets and bought like cattle in an auction.” 

“We know Will,” Miranda agreed. “The law is... difficult. Unfortunately it is unbending when it comes to the bond status of Alphas and Omegas, even in this circumstance. We can’t touch Mason’s finances without your permission.” 

“You honestly think you’re going to find an outgoing bank transaction to a trafficking ring?” Will laughed bitterly. “I can tell you now you won’t. Mason will have been planning to buy an Omega for years; the money won’t have been sloppily thrown around with such a huge financial footprint. I’d be surprised if you found anything.” 

“You sound very sure of that Will. Is there something else you know?” 

“I don’t know if Mason had a dozen secret, off shores bank accounts or if he kept his money under a damn mattress. I don’t know anything about Mason’s personal life because it was not my place to know. All I can tell you is that he was manipulative and sly. He wouldn’t have been stupid enough to get caught out so easily, unless his arrogance got in the way.” 

“And Margot Verger? What would she know about her brother’s involvement in the trafficking ring?” 

Will lent back in his chair and folded his arms over his chest. “I don’t know. Considering Margot only discovered I’d been living in the same house for three years until the night Mason died, I doubt she knew anything about the ring. You would have to ask her.” 

“Don’t worry, we will. We’ve scheduled her interview for tomorrow morning,” Miranda replied, clearly tired of the Omega’s bristly attitude. “I’d like to arrange a time for you to come in next week and spend some time with our artist to create a profile of the people you saw before you were sold.” 

“Whenever. It’s not as if I have a ton of plans,” Will retorted dryly. 

The agents wrapped up the interview and wearily watched him leave the room, escorted by Jack. Jack ushered him up to another floor, telling him he had a phone call to make before he could take him back to Port Haven. Jack’s office reeked of stress. 

The Alpha didn’t notice Will staring at the photographs on top of his folder on his desk, his deep eyes swarming over the images. He flinched when he turned around and saw Will gazing at the photos in all their grisly detail. 

He snatched them up. “I’m sorry Will. I shouldn’t have left those out.” 

“Crime scene photographs don’t bother me Agent Crawford. Have you found the killer yet?” Will asked, his eyes gleaming with an intensity that intrigued Jack. 

“No,” Jack replied. “But we believe it’s his first kill. He – I shouldn’t be talking to you about this. Alana will kill me.” 

“It’s not his first kill.” 

“What?” Jack shot back, face crumpling into a frowning storm.

“May I see them again?” Will asked, hand outstretched. 

Jack cautiously offered them to him, pursing his lips as the Omega’s fingers trembled as he held the photographs. His face was utterly blank, completely smooth and neutral, but his eyes moved almost as if he was having a seizure. His shoulders hunched slightly and his lips parted. 

“He’s killed before. Years and years ago. He’s getting older now and he wanted to relive the experience before he got too close to his own end,” Will murmured, not looking up at meet Jack’s gawping face. “You’re looking for a much older man, most likely an Alpha. He’ll probably be widowed but have children. His son doesn’t speak to him anymore.” 

“How can you possibly know all of that from looking at those photos?” Jack deadpanned, his blood rushing in his ears. 

Will looked up, eyes dizzy and distant before grounding themselves and locking on to Jack. “Alana thinks I have an empathy disorder.” 

“An empathy disorder?” Jack repeated bluntly. “And an empathy disorder allows you to look at a bunch of corpses and know all that?” 

Will shrugged. “It’s a polite way of saying I’m on the autistic spectrum with being out right, I suppose. The killer’s lonely. He wants to reconnect, but his son is the only family he has left and he won’t communicate with him anymore. So he reached out to the only profound connection he had anymore. It made him feel less lonely, knowing that he made that connection again before he died himself.”

“I don’t... alright. I’ll keep it in mind what you said.” 

“Will you let me know if you catch him? If you arrest him in his house you’ll probably find a family photograph that he modelled the murder on. He was recreating his memories,” Will informed Jack softly, trying to placate the stony Alpha. 

Jack nodded tensely. “I hope you’re right about this Will.” 

Will returned his nod, refusing the urge to tell him he _knew_ he was right. He’d placed himself in the photograph after all.


	16. Sixteenth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hannibal eavesdrops and Will is conflicted with his future and past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has commented and left kudos, you're all amazing! 
> 
> Unfortunately I don't have enough time to reply to all comments at the moment, my time has quite abruptly been taken up! (By lots of shifts that I NEED to work because I'm penniless :---) ) In between work and writing I'm struggling to find the time to get back to you all and I'm extremely sorry about this; your kind words are not going unnoticed and unappreciated. I will be able to reply at some point hopefully!

Gregory was the kind of Alpha who people often ignored. There was nothing particularly striking about him and he was in all aspects _average_. Muddy eyes, ashy blonde hair, an oddly weak scent and a textbook standard physique. Hannibal wondered if he was wasting his time following the man, but the thought of Will alone with him after their night classes had finished and the room had emptied made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up and his own Alpha instincts snarl with the need to protect. Doused in scent suppressants and treading lightly, Hannibal followed him from the college to soothe that twisting feeling in his gut. 

Gregory left the college on foot, as Hannibal had watched him do the first night he’d seen him. He kept well back, noting he felt rather like a ghost at his lack of presence. He was silent, scentless and barely even felt his breath entering and leaving his body. Gregory practically twitched as he walked, nervously looking about every minute or so to look around him. Hannibal knew he hadn’t noticed he was being followed; he would have turned around and confronted Hannibal by now if he knew. Perhaps he was just naturally predisposed to nervousness, and the smarmy attitude he exuded in front of Will was purely for show. Whatever the case was, Hannibal found it amusing to see him so on edge. 

Gregory had led them to one of Baltimore’s leafy, gated communities. Large, sprawling properties with picture perfect lawns and expensive cars lined the streets, gated security alarms and security cameras nestled into corners. Hannibal nearly rolled his eyes and sighed. 

He managed to slip behind Gregory just as the security gates were closing to the drive of one of the houses. Gregory slipped through another gate, this one open this time, and around the back of the house. Hannibal kept to the shadows, gritting his teeth. Gregory opened a door at the side of the house before they reached the back garden, oblivious to Hannibal’s presence. Hannibal smoothly slid forwards and caught the door just before it clicked closed behind the other Alpha. He shut it softly but then slowly, carefully, opened it again, grateful the wood did not creak and the hinges didn’t wail. He peered through the small gap he kept the door open at, observing a set of stairs that twisted down and to the right, bright fluorescent lights gleaming on the smooth stone walls. 

Hannibal waited, his ears twitching. 

“Hey Gregory,” a faint, male voice murmured from below. “You’re back early.” 

There was a soft sob from the basement, so clearly and painfully Omegan. Hannibal heard a sharp crack of skin on skin, his spine rigid. 

“Shut up,” the second voice hissed. “I’m sick of your whining shit. I wasn’t lying when I said I’d cut you open and take your vocal cords.” 

A soft laugh. “She’s still learning Gabriel. You know they take a few weeks to break in.” 

“A few too many weeks if you ask me,” the other, Gabriel muttered. “I suppose it’s my own fault though. Not dipping in to your own stash and all that.” 

“You would be an awful drug dealer,” Gregory chuckled. 

A soft hum in acknowledgement. “How’d it go tonight?”

“The same. He ran before I could spend more than three minutes with him.” 

“We should swap. You’re not getting anywhere with him and at least I know how to interact with Omegas. Fuck with their empty little air heads and get them to trust you,” Gabriel scorned him. “You were always better at finances anyway Gregory. You know I’m better with the people side of this.” 

Gregory scoffed. “You like to think you’re better with people than I am, but you’re just good at smooth talking our customers into buying from us.”

“I’m not good at it. I’m _exceptional_ ,” Gabriel corrected. “Think about it anyway. You drop the pretence and let me go to these fucking night classes instead.” 

“I think there would be a better way.” 

A soft whimper again and a growl. “I swear to God, you little _bitch_ \- ”

“Gabriel, shut up. Listen. I have an idea for Christ’s sake,” Gregory snapped. “I think it’ll be good.” 

“And what would that be, huh? I’m getting tired of your ideas. Unless you’re going to suggest we finally just take him like I’ve been saying for weeks - ”

“You could get in to the psychiatric facility. Pretend to be one of the nurses or orderlies. Maybe even a doctor; that means you’d get one on one therapy with him.” 

“That Port Haven place?” Gabriel queried. “Seems like a lot of effort to go to just for one unruly Omega.” 

“He’s talking to the FBI Gabriel.” 

“I _know_ , I was the one who had him followed, Jesus. The whole reason you’re going to these night classes is to get close but not _too_ close; showing up at Port Haven to work there is pretty fucking close Gregory.”

“It would be perfect,” the Alpha insisted. “I could quit going to these night classes and you could get in such close proximity with him, he’d practically be handing himself up on a platter.” 

“The reason I’m even bothered about getting him back is _policy_ , remember? If it wasn’t a guarantee that we obtain all Omegas back if the buyer dies then I wouldn’t give a shit if he was living next door or dead. We have a reputation, Gregory, but I’m not going to suddenly drop huge chunks of my time for just one specific Omega.” 

“Then we’ll have someone else go in.” 

“We already have all of our men out getting us fresh stock around the clock. We can’t just put them on new jobs; the ones they already have are too important.” 

“Then we’ll hire more!” 

“Absolutely not! We have enough men as it is, you know that! Anymore and it’ll cause suspicion. You think with that fucking Graham’s case out that there aren’t going to be undercover cops trying to infiltrate us? We take on any more men and we run the risk of new staff being FBI. I won’t risk it.” 

“Then what do you suggest, Gabriel? You won’t divert any of our men to get in to Port Haven and you won’t employ new ones in case they’re FBI. You won’t go in yourself and going to these night classes is pointless. Where does that leave us? We look like fucking _idiots_. Our sales are dropping because people are laughing at us and they think we’re unreliable Gabriel! Graham’s been floating around like the fucking fairy he is for six months now and we still haven’t got him back!” 

“Then do something,” Gabriel snarled. “Maybe if you stopped stalling and just took him - ”

“Oh, because you’d know I get so many chances? You haven’t bothered to try and help once to get him back! He’s out that fucking door the minute the class had ended and straight in to a car!” 

“We could always have her picked off, the Beta. Alana, isn’t it? Make it look like a wreck on the drive over to pick him up and whilst he’s waiting for her to come get him, take him.” 

“It’d have to be an outside job. Can’t get any of our men to do it,” Gregory grunted. 

“I don’t like dealing with hit men. They overcharge.” 

“Well you’d better learn to like it or our only other option is to get you under a fake job at Port Haven. It wouldn’t even take that long. A month, at the most. Get you a few random night shifts so that you get the feel of the place, get to know how the security works. Then you can trip the security cameras and I’ll take him.” 

“I still don’t see why we can’t take the cameras down now and just take him,” Gabriel sighed in frustration. “Just cut the cables and make it look like a random power cut. That way we’re in and out in one night and no one ever saw our faces. Well... other than Graham.” 

There was a brief pause, heavy with looming silence. Hannibal gripped the door handle through his gloves. 

“Someone else has seen me.” 

“What?” 

“There was an Alpha that came and got him the other week. He looked me dead in the eye.” 

“Who was he?” 

“How the fuck should I know?” Gregory spat. 

“Because it’s our _job_ to know things! We have to know every detail about Graham if we want to get him back,” Gabriel snapped. “Find out who he is. I don’t want to make a move until we know he won’t be trouble.” 

“I think he’s fucking him.” 

“You’re sure?” Gabriel pressed, his voice strained. “That changes the whole way we have to go about this.” 

“I’m pretty sure.” 

There was a soft scoff. “Maybe we could offer him a discount when we sell Graham on again.” 

“We’re going to have to sell him on for next to nothing anyway,” Gregory sneered. “Used goods barely bring in any money. The only selling point we’ve got is that he’s definitely fertile; we’ll just have to hope there’s some bastard out there with a breeding kink.” 

“Hmm,” Gabriel agreed. “If he reaches six months and doesn’t sell I’m just going to get rid of him. I’ll sell him to someone who just wants to cut him up.” 

“I still don’t get why you sell to those clients. They’re bad news when they’re sloppy with the way they kill them. Remember that one who killed her Omega and then confessed to the police she’d bought him from us?” 

“Yes. Of course I remember; I had her shanked in her holding cell before she could make it to her trial.” 

“Listen,” Gregory sighed. “I want you to go in to Port Haven. A month, Gabriel, that’s all. A month and then we can haul him out, sell him on and forget he exists. I’m sick of losing sleep over the stupid fucking whore.” 

“Alright,” Gabriel grunted. “Alright, I’ll do it. But just for the month and then I’m out of there. Understand?” 

“Perfect,” Gregory agreed smoothly. “What’s the name of that lawyer you started using again? McKinley? I’ll have him draft you up a fake diploma and resume. We’ll get him back in no time, I promise.” 

Hannibal withdrew from the door an inch, carefully shutting the door in silence again. 

He’d followed Gregory thinking it would all prove rather fruitless. How mistaken he’d been. 

 

 

“How was your interview with the FBI? I meant to ring you on the day and ask but found myself sidetracked,” Hannibal asked from the arm chair opposite him. 

They were in Hannibal’s living room and Will was curled into a corner of the sofa, staring in to the fireplace Hannibal had just lit. Hannibal had chosen to sit and watch the Omega from the arm chair facing him, sketchpad resting on his knee as he softly sketched Will, pencil ghosting over paper as he shaded the dramatic shadows on Will’s face in the rich darkness of his living room. 

“They want me to go and give a description to a forensic artist of the woman I saw when I was first taken.” 

“The one that kept you in that room whilst you endured your first heat?” Hannibal asked, his voice tight. 

“That’s the one,” Will sighed. “They want me to give descriptions of the men that took me to the auction as well.” 

“Do you remember their faces very well?” Hannibal quizzed him, musing that he could probably sketch them now whilst Will described them. 

“Not really.” 

Hannibal glanced up, frowning at Will’s vacant voice and his blunt answers. “Is something the matter Will?” 

“No,” he croaked. “I’m fine.” 

Hannibal closed his sketchbook, setting it down with the pencil on the small table besides the arm chair. He rose to his feet, wishing Will would look at him. He reached the sofa and carefully sat down next to Will, nudging his legs out from his foetal position and pulling one of his feet into his lap. He stared at Will’s blank, empty face as he slipped his socks off and began to gently rub his foot, smoothing his thumb along the abductor hallucis muscle. 

“I beg to differ,” Hannibal murmured. “You look as if you are entirely somewhere else.”

Will remained silent, still staring blankly in to the fire. 

It made Hannibal’s mind twinge with worry at the sight. He had not seen Will like this in a while; he’d been like this when he first met him, of course. Silent and staring and empty and _cold_. It had only spurred Hannibal’s determination on further, relentless in his task of slowly deconstructing Will’s fortresses and stripping him back to the raw fleshy parts of his soul, vulnerable and perfect for Hannibal to settle himself in to and blossom inside of Will’s mind.

“How have you been sleeping Will?” 

“I’ve not, really.” 

“More sleep walking?” 

“I keep waking up not knowing where I am. Who I am,” Will whispered. “I heard the others talking about me. At breakfast, yesterday. The Omega in the room next to me was telling all the others that she could hear me screaming all night.” 

“Mason is still a recurring character in your nightmares.” 

Will drew in a deep, shuddering breath and finally rolled his eyes over in his head to look at Hannibal, his voice startlingly blank. “I’ve been having the same nightmare since Christmas Day.” 

“Do you wish to discuss it?” Hannibal offered gently, rolling his thumb over the metatarsal bone of Will’s big toe. “I am more than happy to listen. I get the impression it’s going to keep causing you disturbed sleep otherwise.” 

“It’s Christmas Day in my dream,” Will began, reverting his gaze back to the fire. “I’m back at Muskrat Farm, in the room Mason kept me in. My dad’s there. He starts looking in the crib by my bed and it’s filled with Bayou water and ash and I’m about seven months pregnant again. He says he would’ve taught Jasper to fish and I tell him I’m sorry. He takes me downstairs and... and you’re there.” 

“And what am I doing?” 

“You’re in the kitchen. All four of you.” 

“All four of us?” 

“Mason’s body is lying on the counter and you’re slicing cuts of meat off of him for Christmas dinner. Our children are sat at the table waiting.” 

Hannibal’s hands still on his foot. 

“My dad sits down with me at table and he’s grinning, he’s grinning so much and he looks just like he used to and he says how happy he is to be with his family on Christmas Day. Then I start screaming and I wake up. I woke up slamming my head against my bathroom sink this morning.” 

Hannibal’s hands immediately dart to his hair, feeling for lumps or lacerations. Will grabs his wrists. 

“I’m fine.” 

“Will, if you are beginning to harm yourself whilst you sleep walk, Alana will have no choice but to sedate you at night,” Hannibal fussed, his face crinkled into a worried frown. 

“I’m hoping I’ll stop having the dream and I’ll stop sleepwalking,” Will sighed, sweeping his thumb over the pulse in Hannibal’s wrists. “I just... I don’t know what it means.” 

“Your mind is mostly likely combining all the trauma you’ve experienced and mingling it into one horrific dream,” Hannibal told him, withdrawing his hands to start rubbing Will’s feet again. “You imagine me serving up Mason because it is similar to the method in which you mutilated him before you killed him and the children are most likely your body’s way of desperately trying to salvage something from all of the miscarriages. They might have been what your children looked like had you not lost them.” 

“They weren’t Mason’s children,” Will croaked. “They were yours. Ours. They looked so much like you.” 

“Then perhaps it was your subconscious telling you who you would rather have fathered those children.” 

“Maybe. But I would have had seven children with Mason if they hadn’t died,” Will mumbled, blushing deeply. “I didn’t feel like I recognised them. I would have known in my dream if they were the children I lost. I would have felt them, I... it sounds strange but I just would have known them. They were... different. I knew they were mine but I couldn’t quite feel them yet. Like they were a distant island I was sailing towards.” 

“It is completely natural for you to have dreams of that nature,” Hannibal soothed him. “Your body and the trauma that lies in your subconscious are at war with one another.”

“It didn’t feel like war,” Will confessed softly, staring at the fireplace. “I wanted them.” 

“You long to have back what was taken from you,” Hannibal murmured. “Jasper has left a hole in your life that your mind is trying to fill.” 

“It felt more like a premonition,” Will said quietly, frowning at the flames. “It felt like I was looking forwards. Even though my dad was there, everything else seemed... I don’t know. Like a promise.” 

“Have you been thinking about having children again at some point in the future?” Hannibal asked, kneading his fingers up Will’s flexor digitorum brevis.

Will tensed. “No. I think about the children I’ve lost.” 

“What was it like, being pregnant?” Hannibal asked carefully. 

“It was terrifying,” Will responded. “I was too young, my body... I might have been fertile but my body still hadn’t developed enough. I think that’s why I didn’t get pregnant the first few heats. Then when I finally did start getting pregnant, I miscarried a lot of the time. I didn’t get the chance to come to terms with the fact that there was a whole other person growing inside of me. I’d spend the first few weeks in shock and at that point I usually miscarried before I could start to accept it.” 

“What was it like with Jasper?” 

“The same,” Will muttered, pushing his hair back from his face. “I was terrified. But then when I didn’t miscarry, I just felt dread. I was horrified that it was actually going to happen when I carried him for two months and still nothing happened. I just kept waiting, waiting every day for it to end. When it became clear that it wouldn’t, I couldn’t help but think about him. Think that he was going to be the only thing that made life bearable. I started to think that having him would give me hope and before I knew it, I was in love for the very first time.” 

“It must be beautiful thing to love so purely and deeply,” Hannibal mused. “A love like no other.” 

“It was overwhelming. I didn’t know I would ever feel like that; that I would ever feel anything other than despair ever again. But I lost him, just like all the others.” 

Hannibal opened his mouth to disagree, to tell Will that no, Jasper had been _taken_ from him, but Will turned his head and looked at Hannibal so intensely it made his mouth snap shut. 

“You never talk about children,” Will stated. “Don’t you want them?” 

“I never discuss them because I know that it is best for you to approach the subject, rather than having it thrown around so lightly as if one was discussing the weather. I would not be so insensitive Will.” 

“I hate myself for it, but sometimes I think about us. Being a family,” Will confided in him, nearly flinching at his own words. “I know it’s ridiculous.” 

Hannibal cocked his head to the side. “Ridiculous?” 

“Yes,” Will swallowed. “I don’t get the impression you have any desire to have kids. Of course you wouldn’t want them with me, even if you did. And the thought of me having children again is just... you know what I mean.” 

“I never allowed myself the time for a mate and a family when I was younger. I attached myself to the idea that I am simply the end of my line,” Hannibal answered truthfully. “And you do not know what your future holds Will. Don’t resign yourself to certainties.” 

“I’ve resigned myself to you being a certainty in my future.” 

“And you think there is a possibility you would one day want a family with me?” 

“You said yourself I don’t know what my future holds.” 

“I fully intend on being part of your future Will,” Hannibal assured him, taking his hands in his and kissing his knuckles softly. “And if children were added to that equation then I would go to any length to ensure we were a happy, flourishing family.” 

Will’s cheeks tinged pink, his eyes falling to his lap. “I sometimes struggle with the fact that I’m so happy to have you, when it’s so soon after Mason. I feel like I shouldn’t be with you sometimes.” 

“Do you feel guilt for the fact you are engaging in a relationship with me? Do you feel you should be the way you were when you first arrived at Port Haven?” 

“Sometimes,” Will mumbled. “Sometimes I step back and wonder how I’m managing to do this with you. I feel like I should be flinching at the slightest touch, never mind wanting and enjoying having sex with you.” 

Hannibal was about to reply when the shrill blaring of Will’s cell phone ringing cut him off. Will’s eyes went wide and his hands trembled more than usual as he pulled the phone from his pocket, being very careful not to let Hannibal see the caller ID on the lit up screen. Will stared at the phone, not moving to answer. 

“Answer it Will,” Hannibal growled, knowing it could only either be Margot or Thomas. 

Judging by Will’s sudden nervousness it was Thomas. The Alpha within Hannibal paced back and forth, guttural snarls forming in his chest. 

Hannibal squeezed his ankle when Will looked at him in horror. “Will. Please answer the phone.” 

He did, just before it rang out. “Hello?” 

Hannibal’s acute sense of hearing picked out the lower pitch of a male Alpha’s voice, sighing internally. 

“I can’t really talk right now,” Will responded, eyes glued to Hannibal and his voice shaking. “I need to go.” 

Hannibal sent him a disapproving look. 

Will swallowed. “I... yes. I am. It’s none of your business though.” 

The soft pitch of the voice on the end of the line grew a little heated and Hannibal resisted the urge to smirk. 

“I already said no,” Will hissed softly at something Thomas had said, gritting his teeth. “Look, I really need to go.” 

The voice grew more aggressive. Hannibal’s lip curled up at the thought of the other Alpha getting frustrated at Will, knowing that even though Thomas seemed like he wouldn’t hurt a fly, his instincts screamed at him to intervene and protect the Omega. 

So he did. 

He held his hand out for the phone and to his amazement Will handed it to him within a heartbeat, looking almost relieved. 

“Good evening,” Hannibal murmured. 

“Are you serious?” Thomas spat down the phone. “Do you control his phone calls now as well?” 

“No. I don’t,” Hannibal answered simply, gaze trailing over Will’s face as his eyes slipped shut and he tipped his head back, baring the pale expanse of his throat that Hannibal ached to bruise. 

“Taking people’s phones off of them in the middle of a call seems like extremely controlling behaviour, Dr. Lecter,” Thomas growled, his name sounding like acid in his mouth. “Put me back on to Will.” 

“Why?” Hannibal mused gently, finding Thomas’ outrage rather entertaining. “What do you want?” 

“I want to speak to him. Obviously,” Thomas deadpanned. 

“May I ask what the nature of the conversation is about?” Hannibal pressed him, eyes still glued on Will’s startlingly statue-still form. “Are you calling to declare your undying love for William? I’m afraid he’s already taken.” 

“Stop playing your sad little games,” Thomas snarled. “Put Will back on.” 

“Will does not want to talk to you,” Hannibal replied smoothly. “I fear you may find yourself being reported for harassment if these unnecessary phone calls and text messages continue.” 

“I’d rather you came and dealt with me yourself,” Thomas sneered. “Or are you just half heartedly courting Will? If you were doing it properly you would have come after me by now.” 

“Oh, I assure you. I am doing _everything_ properly when it comes to Will,” Hannibal growled, delighting in the shudder than ran through Will’s body. “Please do not attempt to contact Will again or I will take you up on the offer of dealing with you myself. I’ll be advising Will to block your number anyway after this call.” 

“He’s not yours to control!” Thomas exclaimed, the panic in his voice evident. “I just want what’s best - ”

Hannibal ended the call before Thomas could go any further. Will finally opened his eyes and looked at him. 

“I’ll block him,” Will rasped, eyes swimming with fear. “I’m sorry.” 

“What are you apologising for?” 

“You clearly know who Thomas is. I’m not sure I want to know how you know who he is, but I’m sorry I kept his number. I’m sorry he kept getting in touch with me.” 

“You can’t be held responsible for another’s actions Will. Even if you ignored his texts and calls that wouldn’t have stopped him from getting in touch with you.”

Will regarded him for a moment, his eyes dark. “I thought you would be angry.” 

“Oh, I am,” Hannibal responded airily. “I am beyond furious with _him_ , though. Not you, mylimasis.” 

“I could have deleted his number and blocked him. I didn’t.” 

“No, you did not. But I’m not angry at you, like I said,” Hannibal soothed him, leaning forwards to draw himself closer to the Omega. “I just wish you had told me.” 

“How did you find out?” Will breathed, watching Hannibal’s predatory body slink closer to his. 

“He calls you and texts you a lot. I was bound to see his name at some point come up on your phone, and it doesn’t take a genius to work out who he is.” 

Will shifted to allow Hannibal to settle between his legs, heart thumping. Strong, large hands settled to cup his face and Will sighed in satisfaction at the comforting sensation of lips brushing against the exposed skin over his clavicle. He curled his fingers in Hannibal’s own hair, biting his lip when Hannibal drew back to look him in the face. 

“Nothing has happened with him, other than the heat clinic,” Will whispered. 

“Are you mine, Will?” Hannibal asked softly. There was no maliciousness or cunning behind the question. Just openness twinged with a forlorn expression, seeking honesty. 

“I... what do you mean?” Will stuttered, frowning. 

“I mean quite simply that; are you mine?” Hannibal repeated. “Do you wish to have me, and only me, comfort you? Do you wish me to be the only one who shares moments like this with you? Do you want to share my bed, a seat at my table, a place in my heart?” 

Will stared, mouth falling open softly. 

“I do not share, Will. If you truly, honestly want this then I insist on exclusivity. I won’t hold you whilst I know there is even the slightest chance you may be held by another. I won’t offer you anything more if I know you harbour feelings for someone else,” Hannibal continued, pressing a soft kiss to Will’s Adam’s apple. “I won’t lie and say I am not selfish, but it seems I have always been selfish when it comes to you. I want your mind and your heart and soul completely, utterly to myself. Do I have it, Will?” 

“You always have, Hannibal,” Will replied breathily. “I have always been yours.” 

“I promised to protect you,” Hannibal purred, pressing their bodies closer together. “I don’t break promises. Let me look after you, darling.”

Will just nodded and handed Hannibal the phone. “Delete his number. Block him. I don’t care.”

“Later,” Hannibal murmured, nudging the phone aside. “He can wait. _I_ can’t.” 

Will groaned softly into the kiss the minute Hannibal’s lips pressed against his, dark and sweet and tasting like the honey and soy that had coated the ribs Hannibal had fed him that evening. Will’s hands tightened in Hannibal’s hair, venturing further into the kiss with deeper movements, running his tongue along the Alpha’s, squirming at the tight hold he had on his waist. Will felt like there was a beehive swarming behind his navel, buzzing with a swarm of insects. Hannibal rolled his hips and Will sighed into the kiss, gripping Hannibal’s hair harder in encouragement. 

Will always found himself amazed at the speed in which the doctor could remove both of their clothing. Will shuddered as his warm, dry palms skimmed over his naked shoulders and sides, the fire swirling and crackling behind them in the fire place. Will fancied that this was probably akin to a cheesy romance movie. Slow, tender sex on the sofa with a roaring fireplace in the back drop. How cliché of them. 

Will wasn’t expecting to be so swiftly manoeuvred, but the next thing he knew, Hannibal had rolled them to switch positions. Will found himself straddling his lap, Hannibal underneath him and gazing up at him adoringly. 

“I want to watch you, like this,” Hannibal breathed a little raggedly, eyes shining. “I want to see you take your pleasure.”  
Will bit down the groan at Hannibal’s words, steadying himself by placing his hands against Hannibal’s shoulders. “I’ve never... not in this position before.” 

Hannibal stretched a hand up, twining his fingers through Will’s curls and brushing his cheek with his long, dextrous thumb. “It’s alright. I’ll guide you, but I’m certain you’ll find your way. You are remarkable in all aspects, after all.” 

Will’s thighs were sticky with slick. “I want you to watch me use my fingers first.” 

Hannibal snarled. “ _Yes_. Show me, Will, now.” 

Will slowly turned his body away from Hannibal, shifting in his lap so he twisted around with his back to him and faced away. He knelt forwards a little, bracing one hand on the arm of the sofa and stretching the other around as best he could. Hannibal rumbled at the first hesitant flutter of a finger against his entrance. 

“Push it in, slowly,” Hannibal instructed him, hands digging in to Will’s thighs so hard it would bruise. “That’s it, slowly. A little more Will.” 

Will whined, the first digit slipping easily past the ring of muscle into hot, wet heat. “Do you like how it looks?” 

Nails clawed into his thighs. “I _adore_ it. I adore _you_.” 

Will bit his lip as he wiggled his finger further into his body, sighing softly at the ache in his arm from stretching around. He cautiously pushed his finger in and out in slow, repetitive strokes whilst slick dribbled downwards out of him and dripped onto Hannibal.

“Push your middle finger in now too,” Hannibal rasped, voice oozing with pleasure. “Gently, not too fast.” 

Will obeyed, his second finger creeping in to join his index and he moaned lowly at the extra weight and pressure. “A third?” 

“Find your prostate first,” Hannibal commanded him. “I want to watch you make yourself squirm, force yourself to get oversensitive before I have you.” 

Will’s breath stuttered and his fingers sank deeper, exploring the cavity of his insides as he searched for the small, rounded nub. He felt Hannibal sit up behind him and run his things through the slick soaking Will’s thighs. He shivered as the Alpha gathered the viscous liquid and teasingly moved his hands to his chest, jerking forwards in surprise with a gasp when he rubbed slick sweetened fingers against his nipples. 

“ _Oh_ ,” Will softly gasped out, a wave of almost unbearable pleasure rolling through him. “That’s... that feels good.” 

Hannibal hummed behind him, a hot burning heat. “Have you found your prostate yet Will? Concentrate.”

Will’s fingers probed further and he brushed against it, freezing as his eyes rolled slightly in his head at the sensation. “There.” 

“Good boy,” Hannibal crooned, rolling his nipple between his fingers. “Circle it slowly, around the edges.” 

Will did. He nearly cried. 

“Just like that,” Hannibal sighed softly. “Keep going. Does it feel good Will?” 

“Y-yes,” he stuttered, panting. “Not as good as you though.” 

Hannibal smirked, tweaking his left nipple. “You respond so exquisitely when I play with you mylimasis. It’s wonderful.” 

“Hannibal, I need more,” Will whined, face scrunching up. 

“Another finger,” Hannibal soothed him. “Then you have can my knot, darling. Then you can take all you need from me.” 

Will sobbed against the arm of the chair, eagerly pushing a third finger in with the other two. “Thank you.” 

Hannibal watched in wonder as Will dragged his fingers in and out of his body, squelching with copious amounts of slick whilst he rubbed against his prostate and shivered. He’d never seen such a captivating sight before. He grinned when Will cried at the sharp pinch of his nipples followed by soothing circles rubbed against the hard, peaking mounds of flesh. 

“Hannibal, please,” Will whimpered. “I’m ready.” 

He pressed a kiss to the base of Will’s spine and leant back against the sofa, smiling lazily in amusement at the way Will hastily clambered back around to face him, the fire throwing beautiful shadows up his pale, naked form. He clasped a hand around Will’s right hip and squeezed his left thigh with the other, humming as Will rose up to position himself over Hannibal’s straining, weeping erection whilst he hitched his own knees up slightly to bring the soles of his feet flat against the sofa. 

“That’s it darling,” Hannibal breathed out as Will’s hand wrapped around the hot flesh of his member and he began to sink down. 

He easily breached the Omega, his body welcoming Hannibal in the way his lungs welcomed each breath of air. He slipped inside, a moan escaping his gleaming lips as Will rocked down slowly, taking inch after inch of him. 

“So good,” Will murmured, eyes slipping shut as his head fell back. He sank further and further until his ass was flush against Hannibal’s groin and he’d swallowed his erection whole. 

“Is that better? Now you’re full and stretched out?” Hannibal purred, eyes darting over every inch of his body. “You look divine Will.” 

He thrust ever so lightly upwards into Will, settling his hands around the Omega’s sharp waist. He pulsed around his erection, trembling and open mouthed as he braced his hands against Hannibal’s chest, scraping his nails through the hair scattered over his pectoral muscles. Will didn’t need any encouragement to begin manoeuvring himself steadily up and down over Hannibal’s cock, his pale thighs clenching with each movement. Hannibal met him every time he bore his hips down, pushing upwards further into the wet heat that enveloped him. He watched in fascination as beads of sweat rolled down Will’s neck and his chest, the shadows from the fire and the dim lighting from the lamps scattered around the room making him look virtually glistening. 

“ _Hannibal_ ,” Will shakily breathed out, head falling back as he rode him. “Feels so _good_ like this, I...” 

“Ssh,” Hannibal soothed him, gripping him harder around the waist and thrusting up harder. “I’ve got you.” 

A whine emitted from the back of Will’s throat and his upper teeth clamped down on his bottom lip, plush and firm, looking as if he was sinking his canines in on a segment of fleshy blood orange. Hannibal guided him, the extensor carpi ulnaris muscles of his forearms flexing and straining underneath his skin as he dragged and pushed Will up and down his cock. The sweetest noises were pouring from Will’s mouth, soft lilting moans and gasps that made his stomach tie itself in knots and his chest vibrate with purrs and growls of satisfaction. 

Will bore down heavily, grinding their pelvises together whilst Hannibal’s hands slipped around the back of him and to his cheeks, grabbing handfuls of flesh and squeezing the firm, white globes. Hannibal grunted in surprise as Will rolled his hips, lip curling back from feral pleasure at the way the Omega worked his cock with his body whilst his chest heaved with dense pants. 

“Want to feel your knot Hannibal,” Will whispered, eyelids barely open they were so hazy and heavy from pleasure. “ _Please_ , I - _shit_ , you feel so - ”

“Make me,” Hannibal snarled. “Make me give it to you Will, take it.” 

Will shuddered and his hips rolled in a circular motion once more against Hannibal, ass clenching and encouraging his knot to inflate as he moved faster, sliding himself up and down over his erection desperately. It was maddening, feeling Will move so frantically but it still not being quite enough. 

Until Will leant forwards and buried his face against Hannibal’s neck and bit down on his shoulder like a wild beast. Hannibal hissed, eyes rolling back and bucking up into Will hard enough to make him cry out and grow rigid as his own orgasm built, Hannibal’s knot swelling and pushing eagerly past the tight ring of muscle at Will’s entrance. Will’s body hungrily swallowed it, locking them in place and contracting around him to milk his orgasm. Will sobbed through his teeth into Hannibal’s neck as he encircled his erection; a couple of fevered strokes and Will was coming against the Alpha’s stomach and chest as he quivered. 

They sank against each other, chests heaving and hands trembling. 

“You’re amazing,” Hannibal whispered into his hair, arms locking around Will’s deflated form and holding him tight. 

“I feel like I don’t have any bones in my body,” Will mumbled against his throat, fingers gliding up to inspect the bite on his shoulder. “I bit you.”

“You did,” Hannibal breathed. “It was wonderful.” 

“I... I’m sorry,” Will blushed. “I don’t know what I was thinking.” 

“Biting me is not something you should be apologising for. I practically encourage it.” 

“I just... I don’t know. I always thought it was something that Alphas should do rather than Omegas.” 

“A rather outdated and quite frankly idiotic prejudice,” Hannibal smiled, stroking Will’s hair back from his face. “In fact bonded pairs are proven to be much happier and have a stronger bond when both partners have mating bites.” 

“But Alphas don’t have mating glands that activates bonds?” Will frowned, hand fluttering up to touch the back of his own neck where Mason had bitten him. 

“We do,” Hannibal smiled again. “It was just never made common knowledge because the ridiculous patriarchal system within our world decided it would be belittling for Alphas to be bitten back.” 

“Where?” Will demanded, eyes gleaming. 

Hannibal collected Will’s fingers in his hand and pressed them against the front of his neck, just above the hollow of his throat under the thyroid cartilage of his larynx. Will’s fingers pressed down curiously and Hannibal let out a soft sigh, grinning. 

“I think the concept is beautiful,” Hannibal murmured, heart sinking as he began to feel his knot deflate. “Shared, equal ownership of each other. Which really isn’t ownership at all, but a union.” 

“Would you... if you were bonded?” 

“Of course I would. I could not think of anything more fulfilling than having a mate bite me back and create an even stronger bond.” 

Will hummed thoughtfully, fingers lingering against Hannibal’s throat. “I don’t feel him anymore.” 

“Do you think Mason’s bond has fully dissolved?” 

“He’s still... _there_ in a sense. Kind of like faint whisper every now and then. But I don’t feel him like I used to. He’s still in my dreams but I think the last threads keeping our bond together have snapped. Dissolved.”

“How does it feel?” 

Will crouched forwards and slipped free from Hannibal, shifting to curl himself against his side with a thoughtful frown. “It doesn’t feel like I thought it would.” 

“What did you expect it to feel like?” Hannibal queried, burying his nose in the Omega’s curls. 

“Like I was free, weightless. Happy, maybe,” Will sighed. “I just feel lost and more alone. I feel like I need to replace, like my body is screaming at me that this is _wrong_ and I need to be bonded again.” 

“A perfectly normal bodily reaction,” Hannibal commented. “The majority of Omegas who lose a mate experience the need to bond again.” 

Will simply buried his face into Hannibal’s chest once again. 

_IwantyouIwantyouIwantyou, bitemebondmebondme_ \- Stop. 

Will drew in a shuddering breath and shut his eyes. It was too much, too soon and Will cursed the universe as his brain forced him to recall the memory of Mason holding their son’s blue, dead body in his arms. Too much, too soon. 

But, perhaps, soon.


	17. Seventeenth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack has a disappointing New Year, Hannibal is a hypnotist and Will goes fishing.

Jack’s thumb hovered over Alana’s name, hesitating. His cell phone seemed too heavy in his hands. He was _exhausted_ but that was nothing new to him. 

He pressed call. 

“Hey Jack,” Alana answered cheerfully. “Happy New Year!”

“Happy New Year,” Jack parroted, squeezing his eyes shut. “Any plans for tonight?” 

“We’re having a small party of sorts at Port Haven for the patients,” Alana replied, the smile in her voice evident. “I was going to try and arrange for some fireworks, but loud noises aren’t the best for trauma patients. So just a dinner party and a later bedtime than usual.” 

“Sounds more exciting than my New Year’s Eve at any rate,” Jack chuckled. “Listen Alana, I’m ringing because there’s something I need to talk to you about.” 

“Sure,” Alana replied smoothly. “How can I help Jack?” 

“When Will came to Quantico for his interview with the organised crime agents,” Jack began carefully, “I had to go up to my office before we left to grab some files.” 

“Ok,” she replied carefully. “Did something happen?” 

Jack paused, drumming his fingers against his desk. “I left some crime scene photos out on my desk. Will saw them.” 

“Jack,” Alana scolded. “Was he ok? He didn’t react badly to them did he?” 

“No, no,” Jack assured her. “He just... he looked at them and profiled the killer. To near perfection.” 

“What?” 

“He told me you have a polite term for saying he’s on the autistic spectrum,” he answered dryly. “I believe you call it an empathy disorder?” 

“It’s the only way I can summarise it,” Alana defended. “Will has an astounding capacity for empathy. He can read people like some kind of damn psychic.” 

“I went out on a limb and took his advice. We changed our approach and within days we got a new lead. We arrested him this morning,” Jack told her. “He was just what Will told us he would be. Older Alpha male, divorced and his only son didn’t speak to him anymore. Will even told us we’d find a family photograph in his home similar to the murder scene he constructed. There was a photo of his family at some birthday party; he’d gone out of the way to dress his victims in the same party hats and balloons.” 

“That is...” 

“Incredible?” Jack finished for her, tight lipped. “How can he possibly have that much insight?” 

“It’s like he almost steps inside of your mind,” Alana admitted. “It can be... unnerving, how accurate he is about people. I have a theory that it’s a result of a mutation of natural Omegan sensitivity to others.” 

“A mutation? A pretty huge mutation if you ask me,” Jack muttered incredulously. “I know Omegas are sensitive to emotions and mood and atmosphere, but this... this is something else Alana.” 

“He has a gift,” Alana stated simply. “And I know where you’re going with this Jack.” 

“And where exactly would that be, Dr. Bloom?” Jack asked sourly. 

“You are _not_ involving my patient in any crime scenes. No investigations, no lab reports, no autopsies. Do not even discuss your work with Will,” Alana snapped. “It’s out of the question.” 

“Will is not as delicate as you think,” Jack insisted. “He’s gifted Alana. Do you know what an asset he would be to the FBI? He could go to the training academy and be profiling within no time, he’s -”

“He’s a fragile, traumatised _boy_ ,” Alana cut him off. “Will could not survive in that environment Jack. He hasn’t even experienced the world yet, how could you expect him to throw himself into yours?” 

“Will’s world and mine are more similar than yours Alana,” Jack disagreed. “We both know how dark the world can be; and he survived Mason Verger for three years. You really think he wouldn’t cope working for the FBI? He would _excel_.” 

“He already is excelling Jack. He doesn’t need to be placed back in an environment where he has to face death and pain.” 

“I don’t think you understand how perfect for this job he is.” 

“He’s not a tool. He’s seventeen and a psych patient under my care. If I even _suspect_ that you’re grooming him, I’ll - ”

“He’s going to start making his own choices soon Alana,” Jack sighed, interrupting her. “Or are you going to tell him what to do with his future?” 

“It’s a no, Jack, and it’s final. Don’t ask me again.” 

The line went dead and Jack gritted his teeth. He’d let Alana be angry at him for the rest of their lives if it meant he got Will Graham on his team, and Jack had always prided himself on his resourcefulness. He’d make it happen. 

 

 

Will continued with his night classes. Gregory’s presence disappeared and he didn’t see the Alpha again. He had therapy with Alana. He had dinner with Hannibal. They went to a museum and Will gazed adoringly at him whilst the Alpha talked about classical sculpture methods and then gave him a blowjob in his Bentley afterwards. He had meetings with social services and the Omega Psychiatric Institute of Baltimore. They evaluated him and declared him fit to leave Port Haven after two more months of care there. His eighteenth birthday approached. The sleepwalking became less frequent. 

 

 

Hannibal watched from Alana’s office as Margot and Will strolled through the gardens of Port Haven below him. Incessant clicking and typing from Alana’s computer prickled the silence of the room. 

“All done,” Alana announced. “Sorry about that Hannibal, I promised I’d email a colleague back just as you turned up.” 

“It’s quite alright,” Hannibal smiled warmly as she joined him at the window. “I’m sorry for intruding on you during your office hours.” 

“Not a problem, you’re always welcome to drop by,” Alana dismissed him, waving a hand. “It’s Will’s birthday, after all. I was expecting you!”

Their gazes both fell to the Omegas in the garden below. They were going at a snail’s pace along the path, arms linked together and heads bent in conversation. 

“I really have no idea why they’re out there,” Alana said, breaking the quiet. “It’s freezing.” 

Hannibal cocked his head thoughtfully. “The rather poetic side of me fancies neither of them feels the cold; they are quite cold enough themselves. Although perhaps they simply wanted privacy.” 

“There’s privacy in Will’s bedroom,” Alana pointed out half heartedly. “But I know what you mean about them being cold. They share that, don’t they?” 

“I believe that it is becoming less true for Will, though I can’t say I know if this applies to Margot. But at the beginning, yes; they were both certainly frozen to their cores.” 

“And now they’re thawing,” Alana concluded. “The stain Mason left behind on them both grows fainter every day.” 

“Will told me his bond has completely dissolved now.” 

“Did he?” Alana asked wearily. “I’m glad to hear it. He hasn’t mentioned it to me.” 

“Alas, we both know there are many things Will does not mention to you that he does to me,” Hannibal remarked, without malice in his voice. “We have different relationships.” 

“Margot thinks there’s something more to the two of you,” Alana murmured. “I tell her she’s exaggerating. She’s letting her protectiveness for Will cloud her judgement.” 

“I’m afraid you’ll have to elaborate Alana. What precisely does Margot mean?” 

“I have a... a professional curiosity in regards to Will. That, and I feel the need to look out for him. Margot thinks your professional curiosity in him is not so professional at all.” 

“No,” Hannibal hummed, eyes trained on his Omega. “It is not a professional curiosity. Will is not my patient and is under no medical care of mine as doctor. This has always been the case.” 

“I know, but... she thinks your relationship is like – like how mine is with hers.” 

“And what exactly,” Hannibal quizzed her, “ _is_ your relationship with Miss Verger, Alana?” 

“I love her.” 

Hannibal raised his eyebrows. 

“I care about Margot, deeply. I want her in my life as a friend, a partner, a lover. It just so happens that luck is on my side and she wants the same from me.” 

“And did you not begin your relationship with Margot as I did with mine and Will’s? An unofficial therapist? Just having ‘conversations’?” 

“Well, yes but - ” Alana fell short on her words. “It’s different Hannibal. Will is...” 

“What are you trying to say, Alana?” Hannibal sighed.

“But you don’t feel like that about him,” Alana laughed, as if the whole thing was ridiculous. “You see him like the son you never had. Will’s mature enough for you to consider him somewhat of a friend.” 

“How would you know how I see him?” Hannibal asked sharply, back stiff. 

Alana nearly flinched. “How else could you possibly regard him? Your relationship with him is a caring, paternal one.” 

“Why must I see him like that? Do you assume that is the hole we are filling out in each others’ lives? Him the son I never had and I the father he lost?” 

“What are _you_ trying to say, Hannibal?” Alana asked curtly, crossing her arms over her chest. “Why are you pushing my explanation away? I’m defending you from Margot’s ridiculous accusations.” 

Hannibal pressed his lips together as he watched Will laugh musically at something Margot said, her face stretching up into a bright grin. He turned to the Beta and regarded her. 

“Excuse me Alana, but I’m afraid I am eating into my schedule. I promised Will an afternoon out for his birthday, if you remember?” 

“Yes. I remember,” Alana replied icily. “What exactly does this afternoon entail?” 

“Will told me his father took him fishing every year for his birthday,” Hannibal informed her. “I offered to take him fishing at Chesapeake Bay then have dinner with him.” 

Alana’s shoulders relaxed a little. _Paternal. Son he never had. See? He’s even doing the things his dad used to do for him_. 

“Sounds like a nice afternoon,” Alana mumbled, suddenly feeling drained from Hannibal’s intensity. “I’m sure he’ll appreciate it. It’s very kind of you Hannibal.” 

“I believe it is Will who is carrying out an act of kindness, but nonetheless, I’ll endeavour to make sure he enjoys his birthday. Eighteen is an important birthday, after all,” Hannibal replied, voice sleek and purring. “He’s an adult now.” 

Alana walked with him to the door, grabbing her coat hastily. “Legally, yes. But I still see him as that boy who’s face flashed up every couple of days on my TV when he went missing four years ago.” 

They descended the stairs. 

“Is that so?” Hannibal mused. “I suppose it makes you uncomfortable to know Will is going to be leaving you in two months.” 

“God, don’t even mention it,” Alana muttered, voice bitter. “I’m going to be heartbroken.” 

“He’s ready. They wouldn’t have approved him otherwise, and from a psychiatrist’s point of view, I too can see Will is ready to slowly integrate himself back into some semblance of normalcy. He will never achieve that by staying here.”

“This is a healthy environment Hannibal,” Alana scowled. “Will is safe and cared for here. Thrusting him out into the world so soon seems barbaric.” 

Approaching the doors to the gardens, Hannibal sighed. “It would be barbaric to keep him confined to Port Haven as well. He may not be locked in the same room like he was at the Verger estate but this place is going to start seeming like an even larger prison to him soon enough.” 

“That’s not true,” Alana said, shaking her head vehemently. “Will is free to go to night school, he goes out with you regularly, he receives visits from Margot. I’ll be encouraging him to apply for college after he gets his GED.” 

The frosty grass crunched underfoot as they headed towards the two Omegas. “Maybe you should ask him Alana. You might find Will does not feel as free as you believe he does.” 

Alana glowered at him, but quickly fixed her face into a smile at the sight of Margot’s startlingly bright eyes sweeping over to them. 

“Hello Dr. Lecter,” Margot smiled, calculated and smooth. 

She reminded Hannibal a lot of himself. 

“Hello Margot,” Hannibal politely returned, turning and smiling at Will. “Happy birthday Will.” 

The Omega smiled shyly from behind the upturned collar of his coat, scarf covering the lower half of his face. “Thank you Hannibal.” 

Alana’s eyes shot between them. “Well, we’d best let you and Doctor Lecter get on with your birthday plans, Will.”

“Stealing him away from us already, Dr. Lecter?” Margot smirked, her eyes blazing with ice. “Shame on you.” 

“Margot,” Will grumbled, disentangling himself from the other Omega. “Stop being rude.”

Hannibal watched in amusement, Alana appearing flustered and Margot bristling with contempt. “It seems we all just can’t get enough of you, Will.” 

“I’ve noticed,” Will huffed, shoving his hands in his pockets and stomping away without another word. 

Alana raised her eyebrows. “What was that all about?” 

“It appears we’ve upset him,” Margot answered dryly, eyes glued on Will’s retreating figure. “He hates attention.” 

Hannibal sighed and swiftly bid them goodbye before Will disappeared completely from sight, leaving Alana and Margot stood side by side in the gardens. 

“So,” Margot began, “you seemed a little off with Hannibal.” 

“We had a disagreement,” Alana answered tiredly. 

“I find that difficult to believe,” Margot teased, her gloved hand reaching down to squeeze Alana’s wrist. “You worship the ground he walks on. It’s as if he can do no wrong.” 

“I was just thinking...about – well, about their relationship,” Alana admitted. “I don’t know what to think anymore.” 

“Are you finally starting to see what I mean about them?” Margot mused, lips twitching up in a triumphant smile. “It’s not exactly platonic, Alana.” 

“I want to believe that it is.” 

“Don’t be ignorant when it’s right in front of your face,” Margot scolded her. “It’s clear they have feelings for each other.” 

“It’s completely unethical,” Alana gritted out, clenching her fingers around Margot’s hand. “He’s thirty years older than Will, for God’s sake, and he’s meant to be in a position of trust as a psychiatrist.” 

“Will is older than his years,” Margot said softly. “He has never seemed young, even when I met him four years ago.” 

Alana glanced over at her. “It’s still strange, hearing you say that. Knowing you knew him all along.” 

“You know I couldn’t do anything Alana,” Margot sighed. “There would have been hell to pay had I even breathed a word about Will’s presence at Muskrat Farm.” 

“I know,” Alana reassured her. “I understand Margot. Do you think I should say something to them? Try to nip it in the bud before it turns into something else?”

“Don’t,” Margot murmured, shaking her head. “You’ll only find a fully blossomed flower.” 

 

“The patience required for fishing has always astounded me,” Hannibal commented as he watched Will’s thumbs stroke over the handle of his fishing rod. 

Chesapeake Bay was quiet that afternoon, only a few other boats visible in the distance on the dark water. Will shifted in his seat, glancing momentarily up to Hannibal. 

“Mmm,” Will hummed. “I’m not too sure whether I’ll actually catch anything, but I’d love to see if I could get a striped bass. They’re huge out here.” 

Hannibal leant against the side of the boat, perching there and regarding Will. “Alana and I had an interesting conversation when I arrived at Port Haven.” 

“Oh?” 

“She told me Margot has been discussing the nature of our relationship with her.” 

“Alana doesn’t believe her, does she?” Will asked cautiously. “I _told_ Margot not to mention anything to Alana, but - ”

“It doesn’t matter too much. Alana was going to find out the truth sooner or later; I just would have rather it be later.” 

Will turned his eyes away from the water, gripping his hands a little tighter around the rod. “Why? Do you want to keep us a secret?” 

“I’d kiss you in a room full of people if I could,” Hannibal told him gently. “But we run the risk of Alana jeopardising your release from Port Haven. If she knows about our relationship she will most likely find a way of keeping you with her for longer and forbid me from seeing you.” 

“You want to wait until I’m officially discharged from Port Haven,” Will concluded. “What am I going to do, Hannibal? Where am I going to go after I get discharged?” 

“I assumed that much was obvious,” Hannibal smiled in amusement. “You cannot go back to Margot at the Verger Estate and do you really wish to be housed God knows where through government funded housing? They could put you anywhere in Maryland, maybe even a crisis shelter for abused Omegas.” 

“You want me to live with you.” 

“I have told you on numerous occasions that I’m going to take care of you Will,” Hannibal smoothly replied, smiling a little. “If you would allow me to, I want to extend that to your living situation.” 

“I don’t really have anywhere to go,” Will uttered out on to the quiet of the water. “It’s only just sort of... hit me. There’s no one waiting for me back in Louisiana, I couldn’t live with Alana, I won’t go back to Muskrat Farm. All that’s left is you.” 

_That’s all there will ever be_. 

Hannibal stepped forwards carefully twining his gloved fingers through Will’s hair. “I’m not sure you know how happy it would make me to have you in my home and to share everything with you.” 

“My next heat is due around the time I get discharged.” 

“Please do not even mention another heat cli- ”

“I want you, Hannibal, don’t be stupid; I just... want to make sure this is something you want for definite too.” 

Hannibal gazed silently at him for a moment. “Will; you should know by now I do not do anything I don’t wish to.” 

“I would be out of your hair before you knew it,” Will breathed out, looking up at him. “I want to enrol at college, so I could apply for dorms and move out of your house when college starts.” 

“You can think about that when the time comes Will, you don’t have to worry just yet.” 

Will regarded him for a moment before turning to look back out at the water. “Do you think you could make some coffee? Please?” 

Hannibal sighed softly but nodded, kissing Will’s curls before retreating into the cabin to make them coffee. Hannibal gritted his teeth as he did so, knowing full well that Will’s reluctance to fully accept Hannibal’s genuine offer was his disbelief that Hannibal could fully, truly want him knowing what he had done to Mason. Knowing that he was, technically as Gregory and Gabriel had put it, ‘damaged goods’. While it was true that Will was damaged, it was not in the sense that Gabriel had implied. Will was traumatised from his ordeal at Muskrat Farm, but his worth was entirely separate from the fact he had been bonded, mated, had miscarried on several occasions and also given birth. None of that _mattered_ that Hannibal, and the Omega’s trauma quite frankly made him even more besotted with him. He was fascinated by Will’s psyche, by his sharp mind and unprecedented strength. He was captivated by his nightmares, by his panic attacks and sleepwalking; he wanted to rifle through it all and then fix it for Will. 

But he craved Will for his beautiful, unwavering darkness over all. It was what truly made him worthy as Hannibal’s equal and it made the Alpha’s blood sing to know that Will had the ability not just to kill, but to go further. Any other Omega may have just seen red and strangled their child’s murderer in a fit of rage, perhaps even stab them. But Will had mutilated Mason and thoroughly extracted what little justice and revenge he could for Jasper’s death. Hannibal permitted himself to very briefly imagine what lengths Will would go to in order to protect _their_ child; bloody and snarling and glinting eyes and simply marvellous. 

Hannibal, lost in his thoughts, almost startled at the sound of a heavy, slick thud coming from the above him. 

He was back on the deck in seconds, coffee forgotten. “Will, what’s - ”

The Omega was bent over a fish nearly as big as him, tenderly freeing it from his hook, eye glazed over in the blank state of calm and well practised reflexes; Hannibal watched the Omega’s movements and noticed they were as ingrained in to Will as it was to breathe, the purest of motor reflex skills. 

“You’ve caught one.” 

Will grinned, sharp and startling white teeth amongst that slash of red lips set in to creamy pale skin. “Striped bass. I reckon it’s about twenty five pounds or so. They get up to about forty, isn’t that crazy? And they can get up to almost two metres long.” 

Hannibal watched in amusement as Will babbled to him about the morphology of striped bass, calmly slipping the hook free from the enormous fish’s lip. The Omega’s hands slipped around the small blade by his leg where he crouched, the bass contorting at his knees. 

“You don’t mind if I get blood on your fancy boat, do you?” Will asked with a sly grin as he looked up at Hannibal. “I have to kill it humanely and quickly, which unfortunately involves some blood but I’d rather that than let it suffocate to death.” 

“It’s your boat Will,” Hannibal murmured in fascination. “You may do whatever you wish.” 

The sharp blade point pierced the fish about three centimetres up from its eye socket. Will had to press a knee down to keep its body still as it briefly convulsed, it was so large. 

“Iki Jime,” Hannibal commented. “A traditional Japanese method of quickly and efficiently killing your catch.” 

The fish stilled. 

“You still haven’t told anyone that I killed Mason,” Will stated suddenly, eyes focused on the fish. “Why?” 

Hannibal frowned at the outburst. “I thought I already explained to you Will; I don’t want you any less because I know the truth.” 

“You see,” Will began, smoothing one hand down the fish’s metallic scales, “I think you’re letting your attraction to me cloud your judgment. Unless your morals really are that twisted, why else would you be comfortable with me? How do you know that you can trust me, considering I’ve lied to everyone I’ve ever spoken to since I left Muskrat Farm?” 

“You did not lie because you wanted to. You did it for Margot’s sake,” Hannibal responded calmly. “Lying to everyone was a necessary step to keep you out of a facility for the criminally insane and to stop Margot being arrested for her involvement. And my morals are purely my own Will; however, you are an exception in all things.” 

“What if I snap one day?” Will asked, looking up at him through dark, thick lashes. “What if all _this_ , the way I am now, is just temporary and I’m actually damaged beyond repair? What if one day I lose my grip and try to... I don’t know. I’m scared I might try to hurt you one day.” 

“Will,” Hannibal said softly, crouching down opposite Will over the fish. (Which was quite a ridiculous scene, Hannibal decided). “You have a knife in your hand right now. You could attempt to stab me if you wanted.” 

Will’s face twisted in disgust. “Don’t be cruel Hannibal. I’m telling you how scared I am and you’re - ”

“I’m trying to prove you could not hurt me if you possibly tried.” 

“You don’t _know_ that,” Will spat. “I spent three years not being able to look Mason in the eye, but I butchered him!” 

“Imagine it was me, Will,” Hannibal pushed, eyes glinting. “Imagine in ten years, you and I are bonded and I attempt to hurt our child.” 

“Stop it,” Will hissed, recoiling as his hand tightened around the knife. “Stop it Hannibal.” 

“It would be even _worse_ , darling. Because you wanted me, wanted our life together. Wanted a family with me, and I betray you. You come home one day to find our child in a pile of broken bones and blood, just like Mason left _you_ when he was - ”

“Stop it,” Will snarled, his eyes on fire. “Shut _up_.” 

“I’d turn around and smile at you, reach out to you over their lifeless body and try to embrace you. Think about it Will, no asphyxiation from being smothered, but ripped apart with my bare hands and - ”

“ _Hannibal_ \- ”

“Maybe you’d drop to your knees and try to bring them back, but you wouldn’t even know which body part is which after I mutilated our child so badly.” 

Will saw red, lip curling back from his teeth and threw himself at Hannibal. 

The knife came inches from Hannibal’s throat before Will blinked and found himself pinned face down on the deck, cold wet wood pressing against his cheek, arm twisted behind his back and a knee shoved harshly into his spine; it was almost identical to how Will had pinned and killed the bass before. The knife cluttered from Will’s hand, rolling just past his fingertips. 

“You sick fucking - ”

“Is this how you felt when Mason killed Jasper? Did you throw yourself at him, beat him into unconsciousness?” Hannibal breathed into his ear, his weight impossibly heavy against Will’s back. 

“Get the fuck _off_ me,” Will seethed, squirming underneath the Alpha. 

Hannibal snarled, his instincts bristling. “What would you do to me, Will? You’d flay me alive, wouldn’t you? Go on, let me see; throw me off.” 

“Stop!” Will yelled, kicking violently. “Just fucking stop!” 

“Fight me off,” Hannibal growled in his ear. 

Will snarled and lurched back against Hannibal, not even managing to shift him the tiniest fraction. Will sobbed as strong, slim fingers dug into the nape of his neck where his mating gland was, paralysing him. 

The Alpha pressed himself forwards, nosing through Will’s curls and inhaling deeply. “You couldn’t harm me even if you truly wanted to Will. Don’t you see?” 

Will just bit down on his lip, growing limp and lax against the wooden deck. Hannibal pulled back, releasing Will from his brutal grip and getting to his feet. Will turned over, sitting up and gazing up at Hannibal. 

His fingers grasped around the knife and he fluidly moved to his feet. Hannibal anticipated another swipe to his head or jugular, but froze when Will backed away and held the blade to his own neck, pressing in to the throbbing pulse point of his marble like neck. 

“Will.” 

“You proved your point Hannibal. I can’t hurt you, not physically. Maybe even in a rage I can’t get at you, not like I did with Mason,” Will murmured, eyes wild and frantic. “But I can hurt you in other ways. Do _not_ underestimate me.” 

The blade pressed down harder, near to breaking the skin. Hannibal’s face split into a feral, crawling grin that spread across his face like swamp water as the first beads of red burst around the knife and Will’s smooth neck. 

“Oh, Will,” Hannibal sighed, his voice light and in awe. 

He strode to the Omega, Will’s gaze hard and unwavering. He dropped the knife to the floor and claimed Hannibal’s lips as he neared, the Alpha’s hands tangling in his hair and cradling his skull as they kissed. Hannibal plunged his tongue into his mouth, drawing a soft moan from the Omega. 

He wrenched his head back and bit down on his neck, where the knife had been moments ago. “I have never, _ever_ underestimated you, darling.”

Will gave him a fixed look, cerulean eyes swimming with electricity. “Push me all you want Hannibal; you’re welcome to. But you won’t find my breaking point. Mason made sure he destroyed it.” 

Will didn’t let him answer, surging forwards and gripping Hannibal’s shoulders as he kissed him again, cold and fierce and bursting with sea salt. 

The blood seeping from the fish at their feet started to stain the deck. 

 

 

“I don’t want to go out to eat,” Will muttered, frowning as Hannibal’s dextrous fingers nearly pressed the call button to ring the restaurant. “Please...I just want to stay here. With you.” 

“But it’s your birthday Will,” Hannibal pointed out, lowering his phone. “Do you not want to eat out?” 

“I want to stay here with you and make something out of this huge fucking fish I caught,” Will answered simply, eyes open and honest. “And then I want you to take me upstairs and make me forget who I am.” 

Hannibal smiled. “Well then. You’d better start gutting your fish. It’s about as big as you, after all, it will take a while to prepare.” 

Will’s shoulders relaxed in response and smiled at the doctor in thanks. Hannibal watched in amusement as Will perfectly and methodically gutted the striped bass and expertly sliced it open to de-bone it. Will was meticulous, neatly extracting the fish’s skeleton. Hannibal wondered what he’d look like stood over a fresh kill, knife in hand as they worked side by side and gutted their prey. Perhaps Thomas or Gabriel or Gregory. Will would be glorious, coated in crimson and elbows deep in the guts of an insignificant other. 

After investigating further into Gabriel and Gregory, Hannibal had uncovered enough to know they were most definitely a threat to Will. It hadn’t been hard to host a dinner party, seek out an inebriated guest whom Hannibal _knew_ had unsavoury tastes and discretely lock him inside of his office. He’d strapped the man to the chair, settled opposite him and used his strobe and hypnosis techniques to put him under. 

 

_“What do you know about Omega trafficking rings?” Hannibal deadpanned._

_“There’s one here in Baltimore. The Brandt twins oversee the ring,” Edmund answered, eyes blank and hazy as he stared ahead at nothing._

_“And who, exactly, exactly are the Brandt twins?”_

_“Brothers, an Alpha and a Beta. Gregory and Gabriel Brandt.”_

_“I see. And they communicate with other members of the ring?”_

_“As far as I know; I only go to their auctions. They’ll ship in requests for you from different states and countries or if the ring thinks a certain Omega will sell better somewhere else.”_

_“So, if an Omega was taken from Louisiana, they could be sold here in Maryland?”_

_“Yes, it’s entirely possible.”_

_“What else do you know about Gregory and Gabriel?”_

_Edmund blinked. “They’re very accommodating. I’ve never actually bought anything from their auctions, but I attend them all the same. They run auctions in different locations each time.”_

_“Such as?”_

_“Different safe houses mainly. Sometimes in abandoned buildings or industrial estates, sometimes underground.”_

_“Where and when will their next auction be?”_

_“June 1st I believe. The location is always a secret until the night before, for security purposes. There’s a very select guest list.”_

_“And how would you recommend one acquires themselves a place on this guest list?”_

_Edmund’s eyes were like milk. “You have to pay your way, of course. And that’s only if someone on the inside recommends you.”_

_“Did you ever meet Mason Verger at one of these auctions?”_

_“Oh, yes. He went to quite a few auctions, but he was very particular with what he wanted. The Brandt twins ended up having to search further afield for the type of Omega he wanted.”_

_“Were you there at the auction when Mason bought the Omega?”_

_“Yes.”_

_“Tell me about it.”_

_“There were a lot of bidders. They were all extremely interested, I can’t say I blame them; I nearly started bidding myself and I never bid,” Edmund stated flatly. “But he was Mason’s. He was going to outmatch any bid.”_

_“Get in touch with the Brandt brothers. Tell them they have a potential client who is willing to pay a small fortune for a request. Give them the name Lewis Jamieson and tell them to contact him on this number.”_

_Edmund mindlessly accepted the small, neat card containing a name and number. “Yes, Dr. Lecter.”_

_“Thank you, Edmund,” Hannibal muttered. “You’ve been extremely helpful. Now, when I click, you are going to wake up. You will not remember me bringing you into this room or anything that has occurred here. I spoke to you briefly when you arrived and enquired about your mate’s health, but was busy for the rest of the evening hosting and cooking. Is that understood?”_

_“Yes, Dr. Lecter.”_

_Hannibal’s fingers snapped together._

 

Hannibal had slathered fillets of the fish with homemade sambal and honey, wrapped in banana leaves and baked, served with sticky jasmine rice and bok choy and garlic chives. Will wondered who the fuck had banana leaves lying around their house, but quickly reminded himself he was with Hannibal, after all. He moaned around every bite, nonetheless. 

“Have you considered learning to drive at all?” Hannibal asked quietly. “It may prove useful when you are eventually discharged from Port Haven.” 

Will froze. “Please tell me this isn’t your way of subtly trying to tell me you’ve bought me a car.” 

“No, Will. I haven’t bought you a car, although I am intending to offer to pay for your driving lessons.” 

“And then you’re going to ‘offer’ to pay for a car at some point down the line,” Will sniped back. “I bet you have one picked out already.” 

Hannibal’s jaw twitched. “You’ll have to forgive my constant need to want to provide for you.” 

Will tilted his head to the side, regarding Hannibal. “I would really appreciate driving lessons Hannibal. Thank you.” 

“You would?” Hannibal asked, eyebrows rising in surprise. “I was weary of actually booking anything because of your reaction to the boat - ”

“Because it was a fucking _boat_ Hannibal, and it cost more than what I managed to sell my dad’s trailer and rust bucket boat for,” Will drawled, rolling his eyes. “And it’s your boat by the way. I’m refusing to accept it as mine. I appreciate being able to go fishing and get out on the water but that thing is well and truly _yours_.” 

Hannibal bit back his reply and took a deep breath. “But you are open to the idea of driving lessons?” 

“I suppose,” Will answered, chewing the inside of his cheek. “I’ll pay you back, of course. You might be waiting a while but you know, I am eventually going to be able to get a job and - ”

“It’s your birthday gift, darling,” Hannibal cut him off with a small smile. “Please just accept it.” 

“Alright,” Will sighed, shoulders sagging in defeat. “Thank you, Hannibal.” 

The Alpha cleared their plates and shortly found himself being tugged up the stairs to his bedroom. Will kissed him insistently, hands clenching the ashy, grey streaked hair falling forwards into Hannibal’s face. Will moaned at the feel of warm, large hands pressing into his waist, drawing him closer. 

“I want you,” Will breathed against his lips, “so much.”

“Is that so?” Hannibal murmured, beginning to undress Will. “Tell me about it, mylimasis.” 

Will gasped as his bare skin was revealed to the air. “All the time, Hannibal. It’s infuriating.” 

He was tossed back against the bed, watching Hannibal’s eyes blazing with dark flames. The Alpha quickly shed his own clothing, expensive garments pooling in a pile on the floor by Will’s. Desire and arousal rolled off the doctor in waves, Hannibal’s heavenly scent making him shiver. 

“When I’m in therapy,” Will groaned, hands curling around his throat, “I think about you. I think about how _good_ it feels to have your hands on me, how it makes my skin prickle.” 

Hannibal crowded against him, kisses searing into Will’s shoulder and chest. “Not very productive use of your therapy time, Will.” 

Will swallowed as Hannibal shifted him to roll on to his left side, slotting himself behind the Omega. “When I’m sat there in group therapy staring at all those blank fucking faces, I think about you pinning me down and _taking_ me - ”

Will whimpered as Hannibal’s fingers swept along the pooling slick on his thighs, growling in satisfaction. 

“I think about all the things I can do with you when no one else is around,” Will breathed, feeling dizzy. “Fucking me on the backseat of your car, pressing my face against the expensive fucking upholstery and your teeth in my neck - _oh_ , fuck - ”

Hannibal pressed an eager finger into Will. “I must insist that you pay more attention in therapy, you shouldn’t be allowing your mind to wander so much.” 

Hannibal pressed harder against the length of Will’s back, slotting perfectly together as Hannibal rutted on Will’s thigh and worked him open at a leisurely pace. 

“I think about ruining every new pair of bed sheets you buy,” Will gasped, rolling his hips back. “I think about you fucking me all over your house until the whole place is filled with the smell of _us_.” 

“Would you like that?” Hannibal snarled softly into the Omega’s ear, scissoring his fingers. “For others to walk into my home and be overwhelmed with the smell of your satisfaction? Would you want them to sit in my living room, knowing you’d ridden my cock on the very same settee hours before?” 

“God, _yes_ ,” Will spluttered, eyes fluttering. “Hannibal, please - ”

Hannibal’s fingers curled, exploring Will’s prostate and making him arch beautifully in his arms. “Beautiful, Will, you have no idea how - ”

“Fuck me,” Will hissed in demand, bearing down on the pressure of Hannibal’s fingers that were nowhere near enough. “Now, please, Hannibal – I - ”

Hannibal sank his teeth into Will’s shoulder and pushed in with ease. Will groaned in relief, sighing and smiling blissfully. Hannibal, squeezed his hip and adjusted their thighs to slot against each other as he cradled Will on their sides and fucked into him slowly. 

“God, that’s nice,” Will moaned, reaching back and twining a hand in Hannibal’s hair. “How do you feel so _good_?” 

“I like to think we were perfectly designed for each other,” Hannibal breathed in reply, hot exhale on Will’s neck. 

Will bit his lip, head lolling back and bearing his throat in submission to Hannibal’s sharp fangs. He rolled his hips smoothly against Will’s ass, pulling nearly all the way out before pressing back in again, deep and stretching. Will’s whimpers were beautiful, the scent of his slick clamouring Hannibal’s senses whilst his internal muscles contracted around his erection. Hannibal nuzzled his face into Will’s neck, cautiously letting his lips graze further back as he thrusted harder into Will. 

The Omega squirmed and gasped when Hannibal kissed the back of his neck where his mating gland was, smooth skin now free of Mason’s hideous bond bite. Hannibal’s gums ached to sink his teeth into Will’s pearly flesh, to taste his sweet blood and feel skin break beneath his fangs. He settled with fevered licks and kisses, knowing if he let his self control slip, Will would not react well. 

Will’s fingers tightened in his hair, squirming around Hannibal. Hannibal prayed his fingers would bruise around Will’s hip bone; he wanted to know that underneath his clothes Will was walking around bearing Hannibal’s mark, wanted to know that he’d left traces of himself on the Omega. 

“More,” Will demanded through clenched teeth. “ _Fuck_ Hannibal, more, I need - _ah_!” 

Hannibal slammed himself deeper into Will as he dragged the Omega back at the same time, grunting at the way Will’s body sucked him in even further, desperately clinging to him. Will let out a high keening noise at Hannibal’s unforgiving, snapping hips and the Alpha hissed against his neck and carefully sank his teeth down on Will’s mating gland. 

Not enough to break the skin, but enough to send Will over the edge and diving headfirst into his orgasm. 

His body convulsed around Hannibal, bearing down and pulling the Alpha into his own orgasm, moaning into the back of Will’s neck through his teeth. 

They lay together, panting as Hannibal’s knot twitched inside of Will, arms locked around each other as Will’s body milked him. 

“You’ve never done that before,” Will commented breathlessly. 

“I got slightly carried away,” Hannibal replied, swallowing. “I apologise.” 

“I remember that night at the opera I asked you never to touch me like that again,” Will recalled. “But that felt... I don’t if incredible is the right word for it. More than that.” 

“A combination of your bond to Mason being fully dissolved and your own mental state having come on leaps and bounds since then,” Hannibal murmured, nuzzling Will’s curls and jaw. “All the same, I’m sorry I did it without you knowing I was going to.” 

“I want...” Will trailed off, eyes glassy and cheeks rosy with a post-coital haze. 

“It’s alright Will,” Hannibal soothed him. “You don’t have to explain anything right now.” 

Will burrowed back further into Hannibal’s warmth, practically purring at the way the Alpha’s arms held him so possessively to his chest. “My next heat, I... you’ll spend it with me?” 

Hannibal stilled, wincing at the way the tension in his body nearly pulled his knot from Will. “Is that what you’d want?” 

“I wanted it to be you the first time around,” Will breathed in honesty. “There’s nothing stopping us this time.” 

“Are you sure you’ve considered it thoroughly?” Hannibal pressed. “I want your absolute certainty.”

Will craned his head around to look at the doctor. “Hannibal, we’ve been sleeping together for a while now, why are you suddenly so concerned?” 

“It’s different, Will. This, I know you want. Sexual contact outside of your heat is not the same. I only wanted to be clear that you wish to spend your heat with me, considering I know how traumatic they’ve been for you.” 

“You’re the only person on this Earth I think I’ll ever want to get me through my heats,” Will confessed quietly. “I can’t bond with you. But I wouldn’t want it any other way, than for it to be you. I trust you.” 

“I would not presume you wished to bond Will, I completely understand that,” Hannibal reassured him. “I do not expect anything from you, but the things that you do grant me, it’s an honour to receive them.” 

Will twisted around in his arms, Hannibal’s knot slipping free with a pull of slick. Will smiled teasingly, rubbing his thumb over Hannibal’s sharp jaw. 

“Even just a kiss?” Will laughed softly. “What if that’s all I ever allowed you for the rest of our lives?” 

“Then I would treasure each one and savour them. I’d be grateful,” Hannibal told him honestly, smiling back warmly. “Every time I get you hold you like this, I file it away in my memory like buried treasure. I adore you, mylimasis.” 

Will flushed a deep pink, dropping his stormy eyes and ducking his head to the crook of Hannibal’s neck. “I don’t deserve this.” 

“You deserve everything the world can offer. I have every intention of giving you everything you could ever wish for.” 

Will smiled back teasingly, but his eyes remained slightly weary. “I’d be a spoilt brat.” 

Hannibal’s eyes glinted. “No. You would be perfect, and happy and _mine_.” 

Will had no response, so he simply dove forwards and kissed him again.


	18. Eighteenth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three am conversations, a dodgy business call and more therapy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I've been in a bit of a creative slump recently, however I found myself inspired to write this chapter after half a bottle of wine, some Tia Maria and gin. Reading it sober the next day, it didn't seem too awful so I decided to keep it as it is and post it. 
> 
> And as usual thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the kindness I've received in comments, kudos and bookmarks! I will get round to replying to comments at some point too, I'm just extremely busy with my summer job at the moment!

The new orderly that did the night shifts on Mondays and Thursdays made Will uncomfortable. He tried to reason to himself that most people made him uncomfortable, however this orderly was just... _off_. His eyes were too sharp and his smile was practically predatory. Will would have assumed he was an Alpha if it wasn’t for the quite obvious muted, dull Beta scent that clung around him. Alphas were typically tall and naturally well muscled, and whilst the man was clearly physically fit he was still too small to be an Alpha. He was polite and was never anything but friendly towards the other staff and in particular the patients, but he unnerved Will all the same. 

He was charming, and overly charming people put Will on edge. Other than Hannibal, of course. He also looked alarmingly similar to Gregory, the strange Alpha from his night classes. Not identical, perhaps, but enough to baffle Will and make him flinch. 

“You’re up late Will.” 

He nearly startled at the voice, snapping him out of his daze. Will blinked, eyes shooting to the name badge on the Beta’s chest - _Benedict Davies_ \- and swallowed. He glanced away from the orderly to the clock on the day room’s wall. The book slipped from his fingers to his lap in the arm chair he was curled up in. 

“I couldn’t sleep. Dr. Bloom said it’s alright for me to come here and read when I’m having a bad night,” Will defended himself, shrinking back into the chair slightly. “Do you want me to go back to my room?” 

Benedict shook his head, shrugging. “I don’t see why. If Dr. Bloom says it’s alright.” 

Will nodded and watched him, expecting him to leave. He didn’t. He stood and stared thoughtfully at Will. 

“Nightmares?” Benedict asked curiously. 

Will frowned and looked away. “Something like that.” 

“Hmm,” Benedict hummed. “Growing up, my brother and I shared a room. He used to have _awful_ night terrors, you know? He used to wake me up screaming most nights.” 

Will briefly glanced at him. “How come?”

Benedict wandered to the book shelf in front of Will, trailing his fingers over the spines. “We grew up in a fairly rundown neighbourhood in Chicago. Shootings, that sort of thing. He watched our older brother get shot when we were six years old. I suppose it never really left him.” 

“Jesus,” Will muttered, grimacing. “Did he grow out of it?” 

Benedict’s fingers stilled, resting on a copy of a book he couldn’t see the title of. “He doesn’t sleep much now that he’s older.” 

“I know how that feels,” Will sighed. 

“The night shift nurse tells me you refuse medication to help you sleep,” Benedict commented, shifting a book out of its place and nonchalantly flicking through it, not looking up at Will. “Why’s that?” 

“Is this a three am therapy session?” Will smiled, his voice blunt and his eyes tight. 

Benedict glanced up from the book. “Hardly. I wouldn’t have the slightest clue what therapy would be like, seeing as I’m just an orderly. More just a friendly conversation.” 

“Orderlies don’t usually take so much interest in me.” 

Benedict smiled softly, holding his hands up. “I’m intruding, aren’t I? I’m sorry, I just wanted to make sure you were alright. You were cutting quite a lonely figure in here all by yourself in the middle of the night.” 

“Well I am,” Will bluntly replied. “Alright, I mean. I’m fine.” 

“But not fine enough that you can’t get back to bed,” the Beta pointed out. 

“It would seem so. Funny thing, trauma.” 

Will shifted to his feet, closing the book and giving Benedict a level look. “I’ll get out of your hair. I’m sure there’s other jobs you have to do on your shift.” 

“Not that many,” Benedict replied quickly, flashing a toothy smile. “Night shifts usually don’t get much more exciting than watching the security cameras and doing hourly walks of the building.” 

“Who ever would have thought,” Will murmured, staring down at his bare, white toes. “Goodnight.” 

Benedict watched him walk to the door, unmoving. “You know, you’re different than what I thought you’d be.” 

Will’s hand paused on the door handle. “Excuse me?” 

Benedict slotted the book back onto its place on the shelf almost tenderly. “I knew you’d been sent here, after they found you. I don’t think you quite realise how big a story your disappearance was. It was all over the place, every day. Constantly shoved in the world’s face. And then the reports were everywhere again when you were found, and obviously they never went in to _every_ detail, but still... after what happened, I thought you’d be different.” 

“Oh,” Will mumbled, flushing red. “Sorry to disappoint.” 

Benedict let out a soft laugh, slipping his hands into his uniform trouser pockets. “I thought you’d be like the others here, but you’re stronger than that, aren’t you?” 

“If you say so.” 

“Of course, only _you_ really know what went on in that place,” Benedict continued. “Is that what keeps you up at night, Will?” 

“Listen,” Will sighed, “if this is just an attempt to find out what happened to me at Muskrat Farm - ”

“It’s really none of my business,” Benedict interrupted, eyes cold. “I have a good idea of Mason Verger’s character anyway.” 

“I really don’t think you, do,” Will said hoarsely. “Unless you’re familiar with monsters.” 

Benedict smiled smoothly. “I’ve met a few in my time.” 

Will looked at him through guarded eyes, shoulders tense. “Is that so?” 

“Monsters are everywhere, Will,” Benedict replied calmly, stepping closer to Will. “Hiding behind smiles and suits and good credit scores, behind well kept lawns and dry cleaning bills. You just have to look a little further and the cracks start to show. But you already know that, don’t you?” 

“Everyone has secrets, I suppose,” Will replied slowly, frowning. “Don’t you?” 

“I have my fair share. You too, I imagine.” 

“There’s more to everyone than meets the eye. Some people are just better at hiding it than others.” 

“I do hope you’re not trying to tell me I’m not one of the better ones,” Benedict smiled, shark like. 

“Oh, I don’t doubt you’re one of the better ones,” Will replied, clasping the door handle tightly. “You’re just going out of your way to make sure I _know_ you are. You wouldn’t be lazy enough to let your guard slip by accident.” 

“Insightful, aren’t you?” 

“An Omega thing, apparently,” Will retorted dryly, wrenching the door open. “I’m sorry, but I think I’m going to head back up to my room now. If you’ll excuse me?” 

Benedict smiled again and gestured to the open door. “Of course, Will. I hope you sleep well.” 

Will just gave him a curt nod before all but darting from the day room, leaving Benedict stood alone and inhaling deeply the sweet tang of Omega he was all too used to. 

 

 

Hannibal was sharpening his knives when the phone call happened. 

He carefully set down his favoured Gyuto cooking knife – it was worth every penny of the thousand dollars he’d paid for it - and reached for the disposable cell he’d had ready and waiting with him since he’d hypnotised Edmund. 

“Good evening,” he answered smoothly. 

“Good evening, Mr. Jamieson,” the voice replied. “I hope I’m not calling at an inappropriate time.” 

Hannibal rolled his eyes. “Not at all. Thank you for getting in touch.” 

“It’s not a problem,” the voice replied. “My name is Gabriel Brandt, however our mutual friend must have already mentioned myself to you.” 

“Yes. Edmund was most helpful in acting as the middle man for setting up our communication,” Hannibal returned, heading in to his office as he talked. “I trust he passed on all the correct information to you.” 

“He did,” Gabriel answered. “New customers are always welcome, at discretion of course.” 

“Of course,” Hannibal parroted, settling himself at his desk. “And I also trust he passed on my message to you?” 

“He informed me you were eager to browse our products,” Gabriel lilted, the smile in his voice evident. “And for an incredibly generous price.” 

Hannibal’s eyes glued themselves to his sketch of Will left on his desk. “I have a rather unorthodox request, I must admit. I am not interested in your typical auction set ups.” 

“I see. You’re enquiring to make a direct deal, I assume?” 

“I see no point in attending your auction,” Hannibal answered, stroking a thumb down the edges of one of Will’s charcoal curls. “I would outbid any other attendee at your auction and felt it easier to cut out unnecessary procedures.”

“It’s rare that we comply with such requests,” Gabriel stiffly answered. “But please do continue.” 

“I want a _very_ specific Omega,” Hannibal informed him. “One you have sold before.” 

There was a pause on the line. “That _is_ a rather unorthodox request.” 

“William Graham,” Hannibal offered smoothly. “You sold him to Mason Verger four years ago, I believe. I’d like to double what Mr. Verger paid for him.” 

“Will Graham,” Gabriel deadpanned. “An unusual request, Mr. Jamieson. Are you sure you would not rather come along to one of our auctions and view our other items? They will be... fresher, if you will. An Omega like Will Graham is not, personally, worth the price you are offering. Surely you would like something with more value for your money?” 

“Oh?” Hannibal smiled, gritting his teeth and clutching the arm of his chair tightly. 

“Well, it’s just that buying an Omega like Will is... I do not wish to be rude, Mr. Jamieson, but most clients wish to purchase Omegas that are younger and not so tarnished. For the money you are offering, we would be able to procure a _much_ more desirable - ”

“I would not pay so much for another Omega,” Hannibal cut him off. “I meant what I said when I told you my request was very specific. I think, Mr. Brandt, it would be foolish of you to turn down my request. Will Graham will not fetch you so much money in auction; you and I both know you will not receive such an offer for him in that situation. I am not interested in buying any other Omega.” 

“Of course, Mr. Jamieson,” Gabriel smoothly replied. “I understand. Will is not currently in our possession at the moment, however we are hoping to have retrieved him within the next couple of weeks. I’m sure you’re aware that he is under protective custody and care since the death of Mr. Verger, however it is our policy to re-collect any stray Omegas. For our own security reasons, you understand. It would not fare well if Will Graham discussed the ring with the police.” 

Hannibal gritted his teeth again. “Oh, I completely understand. It would not do well to have an Omega such as Will wandering around freely and giving information about the ring to law enforcement. To be blunt, Mr. Brandt, I am rather pressed for time and would like to get back on track with our discussion. I would like to make my purchase by the end of February, if possible.”

“I think we can make that work. Is there an exact date you wish to collect him?” 

“February 25th, perhaps? I would also need you to ‘collect’ him no more than twenty four hours before I meet with you.” 

“We will try our best - ”

“It is not a request, Mr. Brandt,” Hannibal nearly snarled. “It will be done or I am withdrawing my business.” 

Another pause from the end of the line. “Yes, Mr. Jamieson.”

“You will be paid once Will is handed over and I expect you to personally carry the deal out yourself. I will permit you to give him a dose of sedatives for when you extract him from the protective custody he is in, but I must make it extremely clear; if there is a single hair out of place on his head you will regret ever agreeing to do business with me.” 

Hannibal could nearly taste Gabriel’s anger over the phone. “Normally we require the full sum before handing over the Omega, however I will make an exception for you Mr. Jamieson.” 

“Thank you,” Hannibal replied stiffly. “February 25th then. I will message you the time and location I wish for the transaction to take place and after that you will not contact this number again. Thank you for your help.” 

Gabriel was half way through saying goodbye when Hannibal hung up. He swiftly messaged the last of his details to Gabriel’s number, letting him know when and where to meet him with Will. Once the texts had been sent, he disposed of the phone and found himself sat before his sketches of Will again. 

Will, head propped up in his hand as he rested his arm on Hannibal’s dining table, staring intently at him over their empty dinner plates. Will carefully sliding the hook from the mouth of the fish he had caught on his birthday, brow furrowed in concentration and hair tousled with wind. Will stretched out in his bed, sheets draped around his hips as he grinned hazily at Hannibal with flushed cheeks. 

He stopped at an older sketch. 

It stung slightly, looking at his drawing of Will waist deep in the Bayou, Jasper’s empty urn clutched to his chest as he stared at the water beneath him. He remembered perfectly the way he’d looked; as if the depths of the Bayou held the answers to everything, just out of Will’s touch. Like the water offered solace and an answer to all of the mess that was Will’s life. He’d been shivering when he eventually waded out of the water, collapsing against Hannibal’s chest and feeling so small and breakable. He remembered he’d known, then. That he would go to any length to make Will happy again. To have him by his side and share their darkness together. 

Hannibal shut his eyes when he came upon the drawing of Will crouched by his father’s grave in Lafayette. He wondered what recipe he could construct out of Gabriel Brandt. He would have liked to have gone after Gregory too, but he couldn’t raise too much suspicion. Killing Gabriel would be satisfactory, especially after the disgusting way he’d spoken about Will. Having Will tranquillised for this whole ordeal was going to make life much easier, despite the uncomfortable twinge it gave Hannibal to think about anyone shoving a needle in to his Omega. It meant he could quickly kill Gabriel and transport his body and Will back to his home in no time. He’d store Gabriel in his basement and return Will to Port Haven, the caring Alpha hero as always. He would shame Alana for her abysmal security and for letting Will be taken from the place she so regularly insisted was safe. Then, he would return home and create art out of Gabriel Brandt’s body for his Omega. 

Alone and without his twin, Gregory Brandt would either crumble or go into hiding. The Maryland section of the ring would be shaken by Gabriel’s death and it wouldn’t be difficult for Hannibal to throw another dinner party and hypnotise Edmund again. The man would turn himself into the police and confess everything he knew about the ring. 

It would take a little time, but Hannibal was patient. It was what made him such an excellent predator, after all. 

 

 

“So, do you want to talk about the sleep walking?” Alana asked, pen hovering above her notepad. “The orderlies have asked if I think you need to start having your door locked again at night.” 

“And do you?” Will shot back, eyes reminding her storming oceans.

Alana paused, watching him carefully. “Part of me hopes this is just random. That you’ll start sleeping through the night again, but I don’t want to take any risks. Not after that time we found you in parking lot. I still don’t understand how you got out - ”

“Then start locking my door again,” Will cut her off. “I can’t predict any of this Dr. Bloom. I don’t even know I’m doing it until I wake up somewhere that isn’t my bed.” 

“This whole situation would be easily remedied if you agreed to take extra medication to help you sleep.” 

Will sighed, picking at his nails. “Will it make you happy if I take it?” 

Alana’s brow twitched up in surprise. “You’ve always refused to even discuss extra medication.”

“I could just bear the thought of taking anti-depressants. If you think my sleep walking is going to become a problem, which it probably will, then prescribe me something. I’m getting used to being dosed up on pills,” Will replied dryly. 

Alana’s pen tapped against the notebook. “Alright then. I’ll start you off on two milligrams of eszopiclone and see how you go from there.” 

“Alright.” 

Alana allowed the silence to stretch for a few moments whilst Will fiddled with a hangnail on his left thumb and stared at his shoes. She sighed and put her notebook and pen back down. 

“Do you know where your aversion from medicine comes from, Will?” 

“I don’t have an aversion. I just don’t... _like_ it. We never even had aspirin when I lived with my dad, he didn’t really like the idea of any sort of pharmaceutical stuff. Suppose that’s what you get when you grow up in the back waters of Louisiana. When I was at Muskrat Farm, I... I don’t know. Mason would try to sedate me sometimes and I just... how can something be so powerful that you don’t even know you’re giving birth?” 

Alana’s face softened. “The doctors that cared for you when you arrived at the hospital let me see your chart. Mason had given you nearly lethal doses of flunitrazepam, Tramadol and morphine.” 

“I don’t know what those are, other than morphine.” 

“Flunitrazepam is an extremely powerful sedative and Tramadol is also a strong painkiller.” 

“Well,” Will said bluntly, “nice of him to make sure I wasn’t in pain.” 

Alana almost winced. 

“Although he was probably more intent on making sure I was so high I didn’t know what was going on rather than not feeling pain.” 

“You could have died from the doses he gave you Will,” Alana told him softly. “It’s just lucky that you got to the hospital when you did.” 

“Sometimes I wish I had,” Will whispered softly, refusing to meet her eyes. 

“You wish you hadn’t survived the ordeal,” Alana struggled to say, brows knitted together in a harsh frown. 

Will nodded. “I don’t... I’m sorry, I just... God.” 

“It’s ok Will,” Alana soothed him, leaning forwards in her chair. “You’ve been so incredibly brave since you’ve been at Port Haven. It’s ok.” 

“I’ve been here eight months Dr. Bloom,” Will gritted out. “I don’t feel like I’ve made any progress at _all_.” 

“Will, you have been through hell and back. It’s unsurprising that it’s taken you this long to finally start opening up properly. All of this, all the nightmares and the sleep walking and the panic attacks, do you really think that it’s unusual after all the things you’ve been through?” 

“Tell me how I do this,” Will croaked, his voice breaking as the tears welled in his eyes. “Tell me how I _grieve_ , Dr. Bloom. Tell me how I stop hurting, how I stop thinking about my dad and Jasper.” 

“You won’t,” Alana said to him softly. “You won’t ever be able to shift them from your heart completely. Grieving them is going to take you more than a few months Will, don’t you see? You’re doing incredibly well but it’s important that you understand it’s ok to slip up. It’s ok to have bad days, bad weeks even, because this is _your_ grief. This is your time to take as many days or months or years to reconcile your loss and to learn how to live without them.” 

“I don’t feel like I can,” Will weakly admitted, his voice barely there. “I don’t feel like I have the fucking energy anymore.” 

“That’s ok Will. If you need to take a step back and gather your strength again, then that’s what you should do.” 

Will scrubbed a hand across his burning, tear stained face. “I’m sorry.” 

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” Alana softly scolded him. “You don’t owe anyone an apology.” 

Will’s eyelids fluttered shut and he sucked in a sharp breath. “I miss him. I miss them _both_ , but Jasper... it’s different, you know? I’d already come to terms with my dad, in a way. Mason told me from day one I may as well consider him dead, that I’d never see him again. I always hoped in the back of my mind somewhere that I would. Even if it was just one last time. But it turns out Mason was right.” 

“What was it like, the last time you saw your father?” Alana pushed gently, not wanting to stop Will’s unusual openness and make him falter if she pried too hard. 

“It was the morning, really early. The sun was only just coming up, he was always awake early to go to work. I got up around the same time. I said goodbye to him in our trailer after breakfast. He told me to have a good day at school and that he’d see me that night. That we could make Jambalaya for dinner.” 

Will dug his nails in hard into the palms of his hands and stared resolutely at his feet. The clock on Alana’s wall ticked heavily in the silence of her office, making his skin crawl. He wanted to sink into the floor, for the walls of her tediously neutral cream office to grow arms and pull him behind the brickwork. Alana remained silent, letting him sink his teeth so hard into his lower lip the skin started to rip slightly. 

“I dreamt about Jasper last night,” Will murmured eventually. 

“Different from the ones before?” 

“Yes,” Will breathed, throat tight. “I dreamt he was older. He was maybe three or four. He looked a little like Mason and it made me feel sick. I dreamt I was digging a tiny little grave for him and he just stood by my side and watched me do it. I... I stepped down in to it when I was done and carried him down with me. I just lay there with him and I couldn’t stop saying sorry; it was like I’d run out of air and _die_ if I stopped for even a moment.” 

“You feel guilty for his death when it was completely out of your control.” 

“I was supposed to protect him,” Will gritted out, nearly spitting the words. “I’m _disgusted_ with myself every day that I didn’t. That I wasn’t enough. I didn’t deserve to have him.” 

“Will, you know that is not - ”

“It is true. I failed him before he could even be more than two days old. It’s unforgivable.” 

“Mason warped your mind into believing that you were responsible for what he did to you, for what happened to Jasper. None of this has ever been your fault. I know you don’t feel comfortable with talking about everything that Mason did, but Margot has told me enough for me to know that - ”

“Margot is full of shit,” Will cussed, his usual soft, easy drawl turning harsh. 

Alana’s lips twitched into a displeased position. “Margot was terrified. She thought that she was protecting the both of you.” 

“Margot has only ever looked after herself,” Will spat, eyes glistening with rage. “I know she told you. She told you about how she constructed one big lie about all of this. Did she tell you about the nights she’d wash the blood off of me? About the nights she had to set my shoulder back in place and how she would stitch my lip back up when Mason lost his temper? _Three_ fucking _years_ of it, Dr. Bloom. Don’t you dare defend her.” 

Will had never seen the Beta look so horrified or shell shocked. 

“She told me, yes,” Alana said softly, trying to placate him. “She told me she knew you were the whole time, but she was too terrified to call the police. She lived in fear every day that she may make one wrong move and it would push Mason over the edge. She thought he’d kill you both if she ever did anything.” 

“I wish he fucking had,” Will snarled, baring his teeth. “I wish he had fucking killed one of us, or both of us. Because maybe then, Jasper wouldn’t have suffered like he did. He wouldn’t have even been born.” 

Alana looked like Will had struck her, the pain so clear in her eyes. “Will - ”

Will stood up, seething. “No. You have no _idea_ what it was like in that hell hole. Margot can spin you as many lies as she likes, whimper and manipulate you into thinking that she was some terrified little Omega. You don’t even _know_ her, Dr. Bloom. You don’t know what she did or what she’s capable of. Margot is not weak or innocent. We’re all as fucking guilty as Mason is.” 

 

“What on earth are you talking about Will?” Alana demanded, rigid with tension. 

“Why don’t you ask her for yourself?” Will laughed darkly, bitterness dripping from his voice. “You know, seeing as she’s so keen to tarnish my relationship with Hannibal. Why don’t you ask her the truth about herself?” 

“Margot has not tried to tarnish anything!” Alana insisted. 

“Do you think I’m stupid?” Will grinned icily. “Christ, she really has got you wrapped around her little finger, hasn’t she? She’s the one that you want to be careful of, Dr. Bloom. Not Hannibal.” 

“Margot simply raised her concern that Hannibal’s relationship with you did not seem completely professional,” Alana answered carefully, watching the Omega pace around her office. 

“She’s playing you,” Will muttered viciously. “Ask her what really happened that night the police came to Muskrat Farm. Ask her how my mate, her _brother_ , really died.” 

Alana nearly yelled out in frustration as Will stormed to the door, disappearing out of the room with a slam of the door before she could react properly. She sat there a while, in simple shock, staring at where Will had been sat for their session. She tried to comprehend Will’s words, his sudden flare of anger and wondered where the hell it had come from. Exhaustion, perhaps? Hormones? His heat was next month, after all. As well as the end of his night classes and the steadily approaching date of his discharge from Port Haven. 

Stress, Alana told herself. 

Will was just stressed, and traumatised and young and – 

She picked up her cell phone and called Margot, holding her breath the whole time. 

“Hey there, Dr. Bloom,” Margot chimed, her voice light and teasing at Alana’s professional title. “To what do I owe the pleasure?” 

“Tell me what really happened to your brother. No lies, no twisting the truth. I’ll know if you’re lying, Margot,” Alana blurted out, gripping the phone tightly. “I’ll ask Will what really happened if you don’t tell me the truth; he’s angry enough at you that he’d be completely honest about it.” 

A pause, and then a sigh. “What did he say?” 

“He’s furious at you for talking about his relationship with Hannibal,” Alana quipped. “That’s as much as I can really say.” 

“Patient confidentiality?” Margot asked. Alana pictured the tired, weary smile she had said it with. 

“Please Margot.” 

“I can’t tell you this over the phone, but you need to promise me something first.” 

“Then I’ll come to you, tonight,” Alana said firmly. “What do you need me to promise?” 

“Do you love me, Alana?” Margot asked softly.

_You don’t know what she did or what she’s capable of_. Will’s words rang inside her head like a klaxon alarm. 

“Yes.” The words fell past her lips anyway, because it was true. 

“You want to keep Will safe, don’t you?” Margot pressed further, her voice slightly strained. “You need to promise me this. You need to promise that if I tell you, you’ll help me keep him safe.” 

“Of course I – Margot, what’s this about?” 

“I can’t tell you right now, but tonight? You’ll come and spend the night? I’ll explain everything,” Margot sighed tersely. “I just need to hear you promise that you’ll help me keep him safe.” 

“All I’ve ever wanted to do was keep Will safe,” Alana murmured, her heart clenching with sadness for the boy. “But if it’s that important to you to hear me say it, even if you already know it, then yes. I promise to help you keep him safe.” 

“Good,” Margot swallowed. “I’ll see you tonight.” 

The line went dead and Alana stared a little too long at the wall ahead of her.


	19. Nineteenth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Manipulation x2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all the love this story gets. I appreciate it so much!

Alana was nearly out of breath by the time she found Margot. 

She’d arrived at the Verger estate and had spent the last ten minutes wandering around the vast manor house, calling out Margot’s name. She eventually found her upstairs, her nose desperately trying to follow the scent of the Omega. The door was wide open, Margot’s figure silhouetted against the harsh February sunset. 

The room was small and barren other than a simple bed and wardrobe. There was a door leading to an ensuite and the window allowed for a view of the vast bodies of pine trees that surrounded the estate. 

“Margot?” Alana murmured, lingering in the doorway. “Is everything ok?” 

Margot stayed statue still by the window, her back to Alana. “I used to find him stood like this nearly every day. Other than when he couldn’t get out bed because  
Mason had hurt him too badly. He just used to stand and watch. Well; it looked like he was always watching something, but I know he was in his head. It was only place Mason couldn’t get to him.” 

Alana’s eyes swept around the room and she swallowed. “This was the room Mason kept him in.” 

“Yes.” 

“Nothing but these four walls for years,” Alana muttered, nearly shuddering. “It must have added to the mental torture so much.” 

“Will’s tolerance for pain is exceptional,” Margot replied softly, finally turning her head and casting Alana a blank look over her shoulder. “I’d go as far to say that it is limitless.” 

“I can see why you would think that,” Alana sighed, wringing her hands fretfully. 

Margot shifted and walked to the bed, slowly sinking down on to it. “So much happened in this room. All the pain, the grief... Jasper’s birth.” 

“Is this where Jasper died?” Alana hesitantly asked, the words tasting bitter in her mouth. 

“No,” Margot murmured. “Mason took him to his bedroom and killed him there.” 

“Another lie,” Alana said slowly, regarding her lover. “There seem to be an infinite supply of them.” 

Margot’s shoulders slumped and Alana had never seen her look so tired. She stepped forwards cautiously, feeling so _wrong_ about being in this room with the knowledge of what had happened here. She gingerly sat down on the bed next to Margot and tried her hardest to not imagine Mason’s hands pinning Will’s wrists to the bed and sinking his teeth into his neck. 

“Not an infinite supply,” Margot disagreed softly, refusing to meet Alana’s eyes as she stared ahead. “But enough of them.” 

“Do you know,” Alana began slowly, “how difficult it is for me to carry this information Margot? It’s on my conscience always, knowing that you were part of all of this. That you saw Will every _day_ for the whole three years he was here.” 

“I was selfish,” Margot murmured. “You can tell me I was, I don’t mind. I lied to make sure I wasn’t investigated, that the police didn’t see me as a perpetrator.”

“Why didn’t you ever tell them?” Alana pleaded, eyes wide. “Why did you do all of this?” 

Margot sucked in a deep breath, steeling herself. “There are things that happened in this house that only Will and I know about. Things that change everything, all of this. I’ll tell you, if you ask me to. I don’t think I could deny you that, that I could lie to you anymore than I already have done.” 

“What Will was talking about this morning in therapy,” Alana said, frowning, “whatever this big secret is, it’s enough to put the both of you in prison, isn’t it?” 

“We will lose everything,” Margot agreed simply, staring ahead with a grim hardness in her face. 

“Will might argue that he already has lost everything,” Alana pointed out. “He lied for you. Not for himself.” 

“He did. He told them everything I wanted him to, because I asked. I would be arrested and Will would be taken from Port Haven and most likely dumped into Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane.” 

“I don’t know if I want you tell me what really happened here Margot,” Alana confessed, biting down on her lip. 

“But you need to know,” Margot concluded for her, slipping her hand down to tangle their fingers together and staring down at their entwined fingers with determination. “I’ll tell you. But I won’t be hurt if you decide to go to the FBI afterwards. I just ask that you keep Will safe, keep him out of this. He doesn’t need any more pain Alana.” 

“Will is not leaving my care until he’s discharged next month,” Alana replied firmly. 

Margot was quite for a moment, staring relentlessly at their hands. “Mason did not die in the outhouse where he kept his pigs.” 

“Mason’s death wasn’t an accident. When Will woke up after he’d given birth to Jasper, he was out of his mind. I’d never seen him like that before, but looking back of course he reacted the way he did. Mason had broken him so thoroughly, and his body was screaming at him to look after the baby that had just been ripped away from him. He was screaming and crying in this room, trying to get out. You remember his hands, when he was sent to the hospital?” 

Alana nodded, the memory of Will’s raw, bloody hands flashing to the forefront of her mind; crooked fingers with about maybe two nails remaining on all the digits, swollen knuckles and ripped flesh that had scarred thickly over the Omega’s skin. 

“I let him out,” Margot continued, blinking. “I took him to Mason’s room. I don’t know what I was expecting to happen, but I think deep down I was hoping for it. I was always too much of a coward to ever do it.” 

“When I came back an hour later, Mason was dead. I didn’t know what he’d done to Jasper, but I found Will sat on the floor, just holding him and crying. He was delirious. I looked at him then and I knew I had to do something. It wasn’t good enough that I’d just let this happen to him for all those years; so I put him in my shower and held my nephew and then I put them in my bed and cleaned it all up. I burnt everything and then pushed Mason’s body into the pit with the pigs. Then I called the police.” 

“Will murdered Mason when he discovered he’d murdered their son,” Alana said breathlessly, freezing. “I don’t... I don’t know how to react to this.” 

Margot lifted a delicate shoulder in a half hearted shrug. “I imagine you’re going to spend a long time not knowing how to react to this.” 

“How?” Alana demanded, tears prickling in her eyes. “Tell me what happened.” 

“It was violent,” Margot swallowed. “There wasn’t much left of Mason. Like I said, Will, he... he just lost his mind. I don’t think I can tell you exactly what he did, but Mason’s death was not quiet or brief.” 

“And you just covered it all up? Just like that?” 

“I burnt everything. The mattress, Will’s clothes, the bed sheets. I bleached the whole house,” Margot muttered, her eyes slipping shut. “I wrapped Mason’s body up and pushed it into the pit with the pigs to make it look like an accident. I lied to all of you.” 

“Why?” 

“Because I panicked,” Margot answered simply, finally opening her eyes and turning to look at Alana. “I can’t be the only person in this world who’s gotten too deep into something and then had no choice but to carry on with the lie.” 

“This isn’t exactly a small thing, Margot,” Alana said, dumbfounded and staring in disbelief at the Omega. “Do you realise how much this changes?” 

“It doesn’t have to change anything,” Margot suddenly hissed, stiffening and looking at Alana with gleaming eyes. “What would be the point? Mason is gone, Jasper is gone, Will is fucked and so am I. Just because you know what really happened doesn’t - ”

“Margot, you and Will _lied_ ,” Alana retorted, pulling back from her. “To the fucking FBI, Margot, Jesus!” 

“It’s not exactly the first time someone has lied to them,” Margot replied dryly, lips thinning. “What would they do anyway? Throw Will away and lock him up in some nut house? Send me to one of those Omegan prisons?” 

“I would make sure Will stayed at Port Haven, there’s no way I would let them put him in the BSHCI,” Alana bit back, frowning as she scrubbed away the tears of hurt spilling down her face. “And I don’t know what they would do to you Margot. They most likely would see you as responsible for coercing Will into lying too; they’d increase your sentence for manipulating him.” 

“I won’t go down for this,” Margot snapped, eyes blazing. “My whole _life_ Mason made every day miserable and painful for me. All I wanted to do was protect Will and myself. I won’t let anyone take that away from us.” 

“Margot, do you even _realise_ how big this - ”

“Of course I realise,” Margot said quietly, her voice icy. “I’m not an idiot Alana.” 

“I don’t know what you expect me to do,” Alana confessed, her voice trembling. “Do you know the position this puts me in? You’re making me choose between the law and my colleagues and friends and between you and Will.” 

Margot’s hands curled themselves in her hair, cradling the back of Alana’s head gently. She swallowed as the Beta’s tears flowed freely, pale blue irises clouding with betrayal. “You love us.” 

Alana flinched. “Of course I do; I love you and Will dearly. But this isn’t right to _lie_ , Margot, don’t you see?” 

Margot slid closer, eyes searching Alana’s face for a crack in her morals. “They’ll take both of us away from you.” 

Alana’s trembling fingers curled around one of Margot’s wrists. “I...”

“Don’t even say it won’t happen, because you know it will,” Margot breathed. “They will take Will away from you and then he really _will_ go crazy locked up in some psych ward. They’ll arrest me, and I don’t think I could see you again. I don’t think I could bear to look at you, knowing I loved you and trusted you but you turned me in.” 

“Do not manipulate me,” Alana snarled softly, but made no move to pull away from Margot’s grip in her soft chocolate waves. 

“Then don’t give me a reason to,” Margot hissed through her teeth, inches away from Alana’s face. “Let me see the proof of my trust in you. If not for me, then for Will. Do you really think you could do that to him?” 

“Why did he never tell me?” Alana whispered, her throat thick with tears. “Why now?” 

“He’s lashing out at me,” Margot answered gently. “He’s angry that I told you about him and Hannibal. This is him evening things out.” 

“You didn’t have to tell me,” Alana pointed out. “You could have told me he was making it all up.” 

“If I didn’t tell you, he would have done it eventually,” Margot sighed. “And I wanted it to be me that told you, if the time came.” 

Alana shook her head. “This all so messed up Margot.” 

Margot’s smile was weak and crooked and exhausted. “You don’t have to tell me that. I already know.” 

“I don’t know what to do,” Alana admitted. “I don’t know if I’ll ever look at Will the same. If I can ever look at you the same.” 

“Will you leave me, now?” Margot asked quietly, pulling back a little. 

“I don’t want to,” Alana replied, shoulders sagging in defeat. “Despite everything, I don’t want you to go. And I don’t think I could ever hurt Will like that. He’s been hurt enough.” 

“We need to protect him,” Margot insisted, grazing her manicured thumbs over Alana’s cheekbones. 

“He deserves better than this,” Alana answered, eyes hardening. “He deserves better than this mess you’ve created Margot.” 

“I think you’ll find it was Will who created the mess when he murdered my brother,” Margot muttered, eyes down cast. “I just tried my best to clean it up.” 

“You should have called the police the day he got here,” Alana argued, gritting her teeth. “God, he could have been spared so much pain. He could have gone _home_ , Margot, he could have gone back to his father and been a normal teenager!” 

“Do you honestly think I don’t consider that every day?” Margot laughed bitterly. “I know I should have called the police, I _know_. But I was terrified. I didn’t have the ability to think straight, you must understand that? I thought he would kill us both before any sort of help managed to arrive. Mason never let anything happen outside of his control.” 

“I understand you were terrified Margot,” Alana replied stiffly. “But knowing what all of this brought Will to, knowing that Mason pushed him to snapping and that you dragged him along with all these lies; it makes it a little difficult to not wish you’d just called the fucking police.” 

Margot hung her head, looking ashamed for the first time. “I’m sorry.” 

Alana nearly laughed. “It’s not me you should be apologising to. It’s Will.” 

“The whole world owes Will an apology,” Margot replied bitterly. “And I know he doesn’t want to hear mine.” 

Alana didn’t reply then, lost for words. She simply let Margot crawl into her arms, burying her face in the crook of Alana’s neck and sobbing quietly whilst she stroked her glossy hair. She let her own tears fall as she gazed at the room around her, wondering how many nights Will had spent in this room crying himself to sleep. Wondering when he finally stopped crying because it brought no relief to him anymore. She wondered whether that was a bloodstain there on the floor boards she could see. It probably was. 

She clutched Margot a little tighter. 

 

 

Will found himself sat in Hannibal’s office the next morning, the pair of them seated across from each other in the Alpha’s oversized leather chairs. Hannibal had taken his usual pose, settled neatly back into his chair with his hands politely folded in his lap, one leg crossed over the other whilst his foot dangled before him and his face a map of calm, paper thin creases. Will studied him intently. 

“How did it feel,” Hannibal asked softly, breaking the silence, “when you killed your mate?” 

Will blinked. 

Hannibal’s face remained unreadable and smooth. 

“I... I don’t know.” 

“Yes, you do,” Hannibal gently disagreed. 

“Anger is the closest emotion to what I felt when I looked at Jasper and realised what he’d done,” Will answered carefully. “It was beyond any emotion I’ve ever felt.” 

“And when you looked at him and realised you wanted to take his life?” 

“I looked at him and knew he had to die; I knew it more clearly than I’ve ever known anything in my whole life,” Will swallowed. “I’d never been so sure of anything.” 

“You did what felt natural, what felt right.” 

“Killing Mason felt... _just_. It felt like the natural order of things,” Will confessed eyes boring a hole into Hannibal’s knee. “What else could I have done?” 

“Nothing, Will,” Hannibal assured him. “Killing him was your response to all the torture he put you through, retribution for what he did to your son.” 

“I felt powerful,” Will whispered. “I felt justified and in complete control.” 

“Because you knew he had to die, at your hands and your hands alone. Certainty of what we know we must do always makes our actions feel justified.” 

“I ripped his throat out,” Will murmured, “and I didn’t want to stop. I just kept going. I kept tearing and ripping at him until there was nothing left to do to him.” 

Hannibal wanted to tell Will that there was always more to do. That there were infinite ways of displaying the bodies, that there was an abundance of body parts to extract. Organs, skin, bones, blood... there was a multitude of recipes for all these things. 

He didn’t, of course. Will would recoil, stare at him and realise what he was. And Will could not know the full extent of Hannibal’s darkness, not yet. It would take years of work, Hannibal knew. Years of work of nourishing Will’s own darkness and healing the wounds Mason had left, filling the void that Eloi Graham and Jasper had left behind. Hannibal nearly grinned with excitement at the thought of it all; he would spend a lifetime fixing Will if he had to. Anything to see Will be _whole_ , in ways he never had been before. 

To see him truly, truly smile. 

“Instincts are a powerful thing,” Hannibal mused, eyes sweeping over the depths of blue in Will’s irises. “We are governed by them more so than we like to admit.” 

“Do you think that’s what made Mason what he was?” Will wondered, his voice dark. “Was it instinct for him to be so cruel to me? I can’t accept that it was instinct he was acting on when he killed Jasper.”

“The thought of a parent killing their child out of instinct seems impossible,” Hannibal replied. “But there are cases of it, plenty of them in fact. Mothers who believe they are left with no option but to take their child out of the world, that death is the only way to protect them. Infanticide is more common than any of us would like to admit.”

“Mason was not trying to protect Jasper,” Will muttered, fingers twitching on the arms of his chair. “He killed him because he acted impulsively, like he always did. He did things to get what he wanted, and wanting Jasper to stop crying apparently made it acceptable to kill him.” 

“He took everything for granted,” Hannibal sighed. “A twisted mind, indeed. You were disposable, as was Jasper. Killing his child out of petulant, immature anger would not have bothered him. You could have always given him another child, another heir.” 

“I don’t know what he expected. I don’t understand how he could have possibly thought I could keep going,” Will gritted out. “If I hadn’t killed him, I would have killed myself. I couldn’t have gone through another heat.” 

“Do you ever wish you could see Mason again, to ask him why? To ask him anything, tell him anything?” 

“I don’t need to know why he raped me or beat me. I don’t need to know why he bought a fourteen year old boy from a trafficking ring. I don’t need to know why he did any of it,” Will muttered. “And if I ever saw him again, I would tell him to go back to hell, where he belongs.” 

“Do you think that is where your mate is now, Will? In Hell?” 

Will went quiet once more, his hands trembling slightly more than they usually did. His antidepressants truly were an awful thing, Hannibal decided. 

“No?” Hannibal mused, watching the Omega intently, eyes drinking in the movement of Will’s pale throat convulsing as he swallowed. 

“He’s in my head. In my bones and in my blood,” Will breathed out. “He exists in my nightmares. I don’t think I’ll ever be free from him.” 

“I can tell you that you are wrong, but I doubt you would find that the slightest bit comforting,” Hannibal replied gently. “He will continue to slip away from you, piece by piece, until he’s a fragment of a shadow in the very deepest part of your mind, nothing more than a spectre. Look at how much you’ve shaken him off already; your skin is free from his bonding bite and you have no scar at the back of your neck anymore. You bravely parted with Jasper and set him free in the only way you felt possible. You’ve experienced a heat without him and are about to enter into the outside world, away from Port Haven. He has no place in your mind anymore Will.” 

“One day,” Will mumbled, casting his gaze away to the sunlight streaming in through the gaps of the curtains, “I hope I’ll wake up and I won’t feel the urge to peel my own skin from my bones to rid myself of his touch. One day I’ll wake up and I won’t feel sick to my stomach.” 

“Do you ever feel guilt for his death?” Hannibal wondered. 

Will slowly shook his head. “No. I feel no remorse or guilt at all for killing him and that terrifies me; it makes me wonder what sort of monster I am really am.” 

“You are not a monster Will.” 

Benedict Davies’ softly smiling face appeared in his mind, leaning against the book shelf and regarding him curiously. _Monsters are everywhere, Will. Hiding behind smiles and suits and good credit scores, behind well kept lawns and dry cleaning bills. You just have to look a little further and the cracks start to show. But you already know that, don’t you?_

Will thought of the pure adoration in Hannibal’s eyes when he’d pushed the knife into his own neck on the boat. He thought of the way Hannibal practically purred as he described to Will how he could harm their theoretical child in an attempt to get Will to lash out. He thought of the way Hannibal’s jaw twitched when other Alphas even _looked_ at Will , the way his smile was too tight and Will could see the cogs turning behind his eyes. He thought of Hannibal’s complete serenity and calmness at Will’s confession to killing Mason, agreeing that gutting and skinning him was a completely reasonable reaction. He thought of well controlled reactions and carefully calculated words and timed movements, like every single minute detail in Hannibal’s life was tuned to perfection. Unnaturally so. 

“What would you know of monsters, Hannibal?” 

Hannibal smiled. “Psychiatry opens many doors to many places and many people. Some of those people and some of those places are not pleasant or safe, Will.” 

“But I’m not one of them?” 

“You are charming and fascinating and you have a beautiful soul,” Hannibal told him sincerely, eyes shining. “I cherish you. But you are not safe, Will. You are too powerful, too strong to be safe.” 

“I want to be safe,” Will rasped, his throat hoarse. 

“Safety can be found in other places other than the mundane and tedious.”

“After spending the last few years not knowing whether I would have my neck broken or whether I would be gutted for simply looking the wrong way, the mundane seems rather appealing Hannibal. Beautiful, even.” 

“You have mundane now, Will,” Hannibal pointed out. “You sleep in the same room every night, are woken up at the same time every day by the same faces and fed the same thing for breakfast. You have group therapy every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning and on Tuesday and Thursday mornings you have therapy with Alana, as well as sessions with her on Wednesday afternoons. You are permitted four hours in the day room and recreational room every day in between the hours when you are not sat in the same dining hall and therapy room. You walk up the same path every time you wander in the gardens and say hello to the same nurses every evening and every morning when you queue up to receive your medication. Tell me; are you content with this _mundane_ at Port Haven?” 

Will blinked, shocked. “I...” 

“Do you enjoy looking at the same four walls of your room every day? The same meals each week, the same screams in the night from the Omegas around you. The same time for the same thing, over and over, for the rest of your life if Alana had her way.” 

“You know I want to leave,” Will croaked weakly, frowning. “You know I said I want to stay with you after I’m discharged, why are you...” 

“I am simply trying to point out to you that you can feel whole without a routine similar to that of a prison inmate, Will. You are free to go wherever you wish and do whatever pleases you when you come to stay with me,” Hannibal informed him. “I do not want you to be alarmed when you are discharged, as you may find the lack of routine outside of Port Haven difficult to adjust to.” 

“I’ll be fine,” Will smiled faintly. “I’ll still have some routine. I’m still legally required to go to therapy four times a week with Alana on the terms of my discharge. I’ll find something to fill my days with outside of that, before I enrol at college.” 

“I have no doubt that you will. I just hope that the change will not be distressing. You have gone from one extreme environment to the next. Port Haven may not have been the same sort of prison that room in Muskrat Farm was, but you still view it as constricting, don’t you?”

Will nodded, chewing his lip. “I’ll be fine Hannibal. How could I not? I’ll get to be with you every day.” 

Hannibal’s smile made his bones feel like butter. “Every day.” 

Will seemed to decide that their therapy was over then, Hannibal noted with amusement, as the Omega picked himself up out of his chair and settled himself in Hannibal’s lap with his lips brushing along his cheekbone. 

“One day I’ll cut my face in half on these cheekbones,” Will mused airily, lips pressing over bone. “They’re as sharp as knives.” 

“I’ll have to make sure you are careful then, won’t I?” Hannibal smirked, gripping Will’s waist as he breathed him in deeply. 

Will’s approaching heat made him smell even more delightful than ever. Like honey and magnolias and sunsets. It made Hannibal’s heart flutter, his pupils dilate and his mouth water. He yearned for Will’s heat to come quicker, becoming sick of only being able to imagine it. He wanted Will’s feverish warmth on his tongue and to sink into the pores of his skin. He wanted to bury himself in the Omega’s desperate _need_ and to have every single one of his senses filled with Will. It would be beautiful, in every way possible. 

He pulled back from Will’s warmth, cupping his face in his large hands and searching his stormy blue eyes. “This will be the last time I see you for our ‘conversations’.” 

Will froze. “What?” 

“I decided that it would be best for me to stop seeing you in a professional manor until you are definitely discharged from Port Haven,” Hannibal rumbled. “I know I have never been your therapist or doctor or anything official. But Alana still holds me accountable as someone in a position of trust, and she will use it against me when she discovers the exact nature of our relationship.”

“But... oh. If you stop seeing me now for our ‘conversations’, she doesn’t really have any right to accuse you of taking advantage of me. If you stop seeing me like this you can say our relationship only really began after you stopped giving me therapy.” 

“Yes,” Hannibal answered in his accented purr. “You will come to stay with me and eventually the true nature of our relationship will become apparent to her, but at that point she cannot complain I have done anything wrong, from a professional point of view. I stopped being your therapist before our relationship began, as far as she will ever know.” 

“You,” Will murmured in between kissing Hannibal’s jaw, “are extremely manipulative.” 

_Hiding behind smiles and suits and good credit scores, behind well kept lawns and dry cleaning bills._

Hannibal’s teeth sank softly into Will’s earlobe and he gasped, arching forwards in the Alpha’s lap. “You may call it what you wish Will, but I am merely doing what I have promised you. I told you I would take care of you, no matter what, and I intend to do exactly that.” 

“I know,” Will breathed out, eyes slipping shut. “Thank you Hannibal.” 

_Monsters are everywhere, Will_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, for anyone wondering what Will looks like in this story, I imagine him to be like Hugh Dancy's character in the film Tempo. If you look it up I don't think you'll be disappointed ... :))))))))))


	20. Twentieth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A late night heist

Will was unsure if he was dreaming or not when he felt the small scratch against the delicate skin of his left inner elbow. Then his eyes fluttered open and he sucked in the scent of another, presumably the figure hovering over him in the darkness of his room. Will let out a small whimper before a hand clamped down on his mouth, eyes bulging in terror. 

“Hush, it’s alright,” the figure murmured. “It’s just me, Benedict.” 

Will jerked away, his head spinning. “What did you just inject me with?!” 

“Keep your voice down,” Benedict snapped, his voice sending shudders down Will’s spine. “It was just a mild sedative. You were screaming in your sleep.” 

“Only nurses... supposed to do that,” Will slurred, finding himself falling back against his pillow and blinking at the ceiling. “Not allowed.” 

“Just be quiet Will,” Benedict sighed. “Everything is fine.” 

Will tried to lift his arms but a blackness was creeping in at the centre of his vision and his arms felt like led, as if his veins had been filled with stone and his muscles frozen like ice. He tried to yell, but his voice box felt as though it had been slashed to pieces, nothing but a trembling sigh escaping his parted lips. A hand carded through his hair, lingering against his skull almost tenderly. 

“Such a shame, what happened to you,” Benedict murmured. “The price we could have fetched for you if that animal hadn’t been so careless with you.” 

Will just blinked, his mind growing increasingly fuzzy. He felt arms slide underneath him, fingers fastening in a secure grip on his pyjamas and then he was being lifted, hoisted off the bed as if he weighed nothing at all. He watched as his bedroom disappeared from sight and he was faced with the underside of Benedict’s chin and the ceiling of Port Haven’s dormitories, passing through corridors and towards the fire exit stairs. 

“Although, it’s not as if your new Alpha is paying next to nothing for you, like he should be doing,” Benedict continued to murmur softly. “He’s paying double what Verger paid for you, God only knows why. He was quite adamant that he had you and only you.” 

The fire exit door opened swiftly and the cold February air hit Will instantly, his skin prickling into goose bumps at the bitterness. Benedict continued to ramble on gently above him. 

“I would have had you for my own Omega, if Verger hadn’t offered up such a good price for you the first time round. Do you remember that, Will? When we met for the first time all those years ago? I think you’re more beautiful now than you were then.” 

Will grappled with his consciousness as he was gently slid into the trunk of a car, head lolling against Benedict’s arm. He looked up at the Beta as he stood surveying Will for a moment, his face completely blank. 

“Sleep tight, Will.” 

The trunk closed and Will’s hold slipped, the drugs in his system lulling him into an easy darkness. 

 

 

Hannibal waited with his hands clasped behind his back as he stood in the freezing warehouse, thankful for how warm and thick his coat and gloves were. He tried not to think of the coldness that felt so similar, the bitter temperatures that had bitten his skin as a child in Lithuania. 

Gabriel Brandt’s car headlights lit up the inky darkness outside and Hannibal tensed as he heard the engine stop and silence descend upon the abandoned land. He’d parked his own car far away, walking the rest of the distance to the warehouse. A gentle click outside notified him of the driver’s door opening and then softly shutting, footsteps crunching over the gravel. Hannibal fixed his face into a smooth, unreadable mask when he saw Gabriel’s silhouette appear in the doorway of the warehouse. 

“Good evening, Mr. Jamieson.” 

“Hello, Mr. Brandt.” 

The silence was stifling. 

Gabriel stepped forwards, closer into the warehouse that was lit by a single bulb dangling low from one of the beams above their heads. Gabriel looked similar to Gregory, but clearly not enough for Will to be alarmed and mention to Hannibal that Gregory’s look alike was now working as an orderly in Port Haven. Although, Hannibal mused, even if Will had noticed the similarity he probably wouldn’t have said anything to Hannibal. He’d try and pass it off as not wanting to cause Hannibal any worry. 

“I’d like to make this as quick as possible, Mr. Jamieson,” Gabriel uttered, breaking the silence. “I require to see proof of the money you have offered for the Omega.”

Hannibal nodded, slotting his hand into the breast of his coat o retrieve the thick envelope nestled in the inner pocket there. Gabriel stepped forwards and Hannibal offered him the envelope. The beta accepted it and glanced briefly at Hannibal before opening the enveloped and swiftly counting the wads of bills in there, as if it was as natural to him as breathing. When he’d finished, he handed it back to Hannibal and nodded curtly. 

“Thank you, Mr. Jamieson. I’ll go and retrieve the Omega for you, if you’d like to just wait here,” Gabriel said softly, but his jaw was clenched tightly. 

“Of course.” 

Hannibal waited until Gabriel was a few feet ahead of him before heading out of the warehouse, holding his breath as he moved forwards, his footsteps silent. Betas had poor hearing anyway, Hannibal reminded himself. The other man didn’t notice him as he walked to the trunk and opened it. 

Hannibal struck then, hands smoothly reaching out and strangling Gabriel in a chokehold with nothing but a soft grunt and an exhale of breath. 

He dropped at Hannibal’s feet with a heavy thump as his dead weight hit the ground. Will was curled in on himself inside of the trunk, completely unconscious and oblivious to it all. Hannibal would have liked to have stayed and admired his peaceful, sleeping state all night but he had to move quickly before the Omega’s sedative wore off. No doubt Gabriel had given Will a dose high enough to render a rhinoceros unconscious, but Hannibal wasn’t going to take any risks. 

Checking Gabriel’s pulse and finding it beating away steadily, he moved Gabriel into the warehouse and then lifted Will from the trunk and began the walk to his car. It took him a little longer than he would have liked, but he couldn’t help but glance around every few minutes and pause to listen for any other signs of life. Hannibal gently lowered Will into the back seat of the Bentley and laid a blanket out over his body, one he’d bought in preparation for Will’s heat. Nesting blankets and throws and pillows were useful for Omegas in heat, and although Hannibal knew Will had never had the chance to properly nest before, it was important he started practicing the behaviour in order to make his heats a little easier for himself. With Will safely stowed away in the locked car, Hannibal dressed himself in his plastic suit and made his way back to the warehouse. He picked Gabriel up and slung him over his shoulder, the familiar heavy weight of a body something he’d grown used to after all these years. He knew people stared at the unusual bulk of muscle he bore for someone who spent their days sat conducting therapy and hosting dinner parties, but never found himself having to explain the extra muscles. Hannibal simply let them put it down to a trait of being a thoroughbred Alpha. 

The drive back to his home in Baltimore was exhilarating, with Will slumbering in his back seat and Gabriel unconscious and stowed in his trunk, encased in layers of plastic that would prevent any form of evidence making a home in his car. 

When he arrived back at the house, he parked in the garage and brought Will inside first, laying the Omega out on the sofa in his living room. He then hoisted Gabriel in, carrying him straight to the pantry and into the basement. He unhooked the shackles from the bar across the ceiling, fastening the manacles around each of Gabriel’s wrists and then the larger one around his neck. The Beta stirred slightly as he was forced into a standing position when Hannibal secured his ankles in place into the chains on the floor, his eyelids fluttering. Hannibal had him blindfolded and gagged before he could wake up properly. He double checked the fastenings once more until he was satisfied there was no way Gabriel could move, administering a large dose of sedative just to be sure – not enough to spoil the meat, however. The Beta lolled in his chains, gurgling softly as Hannibal switched off the lights and headed back upstairs. 

He would take his time, killing Gabriel. 

The sight of Will asleep in his living room made Hannibal release a breath he hadn’t realised he’d been holding. His thick, dark curls were a messy halo around his head, his chest rising and falling gently as he slept. 

Hannibal gave in to the urge to wrap himself around him. 

He went to the Omega and carefully slotted himself behind the boy, moving him as if he may break. He wrapped his arms around Will, burying his face into the nape of his neck and sucking in a greedy lungful of his scent. It was tainted with sedatives and the smell of Gabriel Brandt, but it was undoubtedly Will’s smell. It was rapidly becoming the only scent Hannibal found soothing, far more comforting than the smell of blood or fear or herbs and spices. He craved it as if he was almost developing a dependence on the Omega’s scent and Hannibal found himself not caring in the slightest. 

Normally his attachment to another would be startling and alarming. He held everyone at arm’s length, from the faces he saw every couple of months at the opera to Alana Bloom, whom he saw at least once a week and considered to be one of his closest friends. And he wasn’t simply just _attached_ to Will either; he was completely captivated. Hannibal was not quite ready to yet address the whispering voices that sang of _love_ , despite knowing deep down that Will had moved in and set up camp in his frozen, barren heart. The Omega occupied every space possible within Hannibal, and he gladly gave up his everything to the boy. Surrendered it, even; it was well and truly Will’s. 

Will’s upcoming heat was becoming more and more apparent. Hannibal had noticed the small changes over the past few weeks, the way Will seemed slightly dazed and lacking in energy. He’d been more open with Alana, desperately searching for comfort and emotional connectivity. When they’d been alone, he’d reached for Hannibal more often than usual, subconsciously letting his hands linger against the Alpha. He had not seen Will for a few days now, both of them agreeing to forgo each other’s company until Will was discharged as agreed. 

He’d missed the Omega intensely. 

Will sighed in his drug induced slumber, eyes rolling behind the papery skin of his eyelids. Hannibal brushed his lips over the bridge of his nose, pressing chaste kisses over fluttering eye lashes. 

Will eventually stirred and Hannibal withdrew, getting to his feet and reaching into his pocket for the cell phone. 

“Ha... Hannibal?” Will slurred, eyeballs rolling in their sockets and his breathtaking face twisting in pain. “What...?” 

Hannibal stooped down, checking Will’s pulse and feeling his forehead for a temperature. “It’s alright Will. Do you know where you are?” 

“Your house,” he rasped, blinking groggily. “My head hurts.” 

Hannibal sighed softly, pressing a kiss to his curls. “Do you remember what happened?” 

“I...” Will struggled to sit up, shaking hands clinging to Hannibal desperately. “The new orderly, Benedict.” 

Hannibal almost rolled his eyes at Gabriel Brandt’s fake name. “I need you to try your best to remember what happened Will.” 

Will swallowed, his face grim. “I woke up and he was in my room, at Port Haven. He... oh.” 

Will reached down and tugged up the sleeve of his pyjama top, frowning at the small, bruised purple dot where he’d been injected. “Benedict drugged me. He started talking to me about some new Alpha that was going to...” 

The Omega’s voice trailed off and Hannibal’s nostrils flared at the creeping odour of fear that began to tinge Will. Will paled, gripping the fabric of his soft cotton shirt tightly, his next inhale of breath getting stuck somewhere in his throat as his eyes became glassy. “Fuck.” 

Hannibal slid his hands into Will’s hair keeping their eyes locked together. “It’s alright Will, just breathe. I’m here, nothing bad is going to happen to you.” 

“They came back for me,” Will choked. “I was so _stupid_ , how could I have thought they wouldn’t come for - ”

“Will, please. Focus on your breathing. You’re safe now, I promise you,” Hannibal hushed him, willing his pheromones to soothe him. 

Will pulled Hannibal closer to him. “Why am I here, Hannibal?” 

“You turned up at my door about fifteen minutes ago,” Hannibal lied, stroking Will’s hair as he clung to him. “You were out of breath and were clearly drugged. You were incoherent, babbling about a man that had kidnapped you and was going to sell you again. You somehow managed to answer a few of my questions before you passed out. I’ve been waiting for you to wake up again.” 

“I don’t remember,” Will murmured, his breath shuddering. “I don’t remember anything after Benedict got me into his car.” 

Hannibal smiled internally. “I fear that the trafficking ring somehow managed to track you down again. Benedict was most likely reclaiming you to sell you on again in another auction.” 

Will felt like an ice sculpture in his arms, like one of the ornate works of art Hannibal sometimes liked to decorate his dinner parties with. He idly wondered whether he’d be able to create his own ice carving of the Omega and put it on display for one of their shared dinners. 

“I’m going to call Alana and the police,” Hannibal murmured. “It’s going to be ok Will, I promise. I won’t let anything bad happen to you.” 

Will made a sort of whimpering noise, clearly lost in his head as his mind reeled with memories of god knows what, his scent pungent with sheer terror. 

Sighing, Hannibal rang Alana. 

“Hannibal!” Alana all but yelled down the phone. “Oh god, please tell me he’s with you!” 

“Please Alana, slow down,” Hannibal drawled, pinching his nose. “Will turned up at my door about fifteen minutes ago.” 

“Shit,” Alana cursed, noises sounding heavily in the background. “I didn’t think his sleep walking was going to get _this_ bad - ”

“Will was not sleep walking Alana,” Hannibal cut her off sharply. “He’s been drugged. By one of your members of staff, an orderly named Benedict?” 

Alana swallowed audibly. “I’m coming over.” 

“That will not be necessary,” Hannibal replied curtly. “I will drive Will to Port Haven now. In the meantime you should call the police and tell them your patient was kidnapped and drugged by a man working for an Omega trafficking ring posing to be one of your staff. Will managed to divulge that much information to me, at least.” 

“ _What_?” Alana hissed down the line. 

“Will passed out shortly after arriving at my house, but he managed to tell me that Benedict kidnapped him and told Will he’d be selling him to another Alpha,” Hannibal muttered, getting to his feet. “Hopefully Will can explain more when we arrive back to Port Haven and the police can make a statement.” 

Hannibal hung up and felt his heart clench at the sight of Will. He was on the edge of hyperventilation, his fingernails digging so tightly into the palms of his sweating hands Hannibal suspected they were going to break the skin soon if he continued. The Omega was like a rag doll in his arms when he lifted him to his feet and attempted to guide him to the front door. Will swayed, his legs buckling beneath him like a new born calf, and his hands flew out to cling to Hannibal’s shirt. He looked as if he might vomit. 

“Hannibal,” Will whispered, his voice barely there. “Hannibal, _please_.” 

Hannibal lifted him into his arms and carried him. “I’ve got you, mylimasis.” 

“Don’t let them,” Will moaned quietly into his neck. “Please don’t let them take me back, I _can’t_ , I can’t do it again!” 

“Will,” Hannibal murmured firmly as he strapped the Omega into the passenger seat. “Nobody is ever going to take you away from me, do you understand?” 

Will’s eyes found his, wide and pleading and terrified. “Do you promise?” 

“I _swear_ ,” Hannibal growled gently, his eyes hard like flint. “I won’t allow anyone to ever take you again.” 

“I don’t to get sent to another auction,” Will sobbed, inconsolable. 

“You’re not going to be bought again Will,” Hannibal insisted. “You’re mine, you know that. I will not let anything or anyone separate us.” 

Will weakly nodded, swallowing. Hannibal moved around to climb into the driver’s seat and with a deep breath, began the drive back to Port Haven. 

 

 

“Will!”

Alana’s arms drew the Omega in close and tight, stiffening when Will bore his teeth and snarled at her, his eyes wild and blazing. Will flinched out of her arms and withdrew into Hannibal’s solid chest, needing to feel the heat and presence of the doctor. He clung to Hannibal’s coat as his chest heaved. 

“Will?” Alana murmured softly, cautiously stepping forwards. “It’s alright, it’s just me. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have grabbed you like that.” 

“This,” Will hissed viciously, “is your _fucking fault_.” 

Alana looked as if Will had just threatened to break her legs. “Please, Will, I know you’re angry and confused but - ”

Will stepped away from Hannibal, glowering at the foyer filled with police officers warily watching him. “How the fuck did you manage to hire an orderly who was part of a trafficking ring, Alana? The same fucking person who sold me to Mason!” 

Alana recoiled, her face ashen. “Will, you have no idea how sorry I am about all of this. But we need to get you somewhere quieter right now so you can talk to the police and have one of the nurses check you over.” 

“Your office,” Will spat, walking straight past her without a second glance to the hall beyond the reception foyer. 

Alana, Hannibal and two of the officers warily followed the Omega. 

One of the offices, a female Beta, caught Alana’s shoulder. “Is he stable enough for this right now?” 

Will rounded on them, his eyes blazing with a fear fuelled, adrenaline soaked rage. “I’m not fucking _deaf_. And I am completely capable of answering your questions.” 

No one uttered another word until they were all seated in Alana’s office, Hannibal dragging his chair over to Will’s and trying his hardest not to glare at Alana and the two officers. 

The other officer, a male Alpha, sighed and smoothed his hands over the report book. “Well, let’s start from the beginning. Will, in your own time, please tell us what happened.” 

Will fixed his thunderous gaze on Alana, the stormy seas in his eyes crashing violently as he stared her out. “The orderly working here called Benedict Davies snuck into my bedroom and drugged me. He injected me with something and then dragged me out of my room. I couldn’t move or speak, I have no idea what it was that he injected me with. He was saying things about how much money my new Alpha was paying for me, despite what Mason did to me. I remember him saying... saying he would have had me for himself if Mason hadn’t paid so much money for me the first time around. ‘You’re more beautiful now than you were then’, he said to me.” 

Will sucked in a deep breath, trying his hardest to fill his lungs with as much of Hannibal’s calming scent as possible. The Alpha officer nodded encouragingly at him. 

“He carried me out of the fire escape and put me in the trunk of his car. I don’t remember anything after that, I blacked out. I woke up at Hannibal’s house.” 

The officer glanced at Hannibal. “I’m sorry, I never caught your name, Mr...?” 

“Dr. Lecter,” Hannibal provided him smoothly. “Will and I have not seen each other since our last and final therapy session together. I acted as a secondary, unofficial doctor of sorts for him; Dr. Bloom asked me to help with Will’s case several months ago. I stepped back from that role since Will is due to be discharged from Port Haven soon.”

“And how did Will manage to find himself in your home?” 

“I woke up to hear my door bell ringing and someone knocking on my door. Will was on my door step, clearly high and incoherently rambling about a man kidnapping him to sell him to a new Alpha. I can only surmise that somehow Will managed to escape from whoever took him and found his way to my home in his delusional state.” 

“Dr. Bloom tells me you’re prone to sleep walking,” the officer pointed out. “How do you know this wasn’t a night terror and you managed to sleep walk your way to Dr. Lecter’s house?” 

“Because there is a fucking injection site in my arm and I know when I’m awake and when I’m not,” Will snarled. “Benedict Davies is missing and you’re going to find footage on the security cameras of him unlocking my bedroom door and dragging me out into a car.” 

“We have an officer going over the security tapes as we speak, they began surveying the tapes as soon as we got here,” the Beta officer replied calmly, regarding Will with a level gaze. “Could you describe Benedict’s car? Anything about him that might help us?” 

“I have no idea what his car looked like other than the inside of his trunk,” Will muttered. “I never spoke to him much, he was always on the night shift. The only interaction we had was when I’d wake up from sleep walking and he used to make sure I went back to my room.” 

“And what did the two you speak about?” 

“He used to bring up my... disappearance. He made it quite obvious he’d looked me up before he started working here. He was just strange, all round.” 

“I think it’s quite obvious what’s happened here,” Hannibal quipped, looking at Alana with feigned disgust. “Benedict has worked here as an orderly in an attempt to get closer to Will, familiarise himself with the security system and then simply took him. It’s a miracle Will is safe, Dr. Bloom.” 

Alana winced. “Hannibal, I had a background check run on him. I have background checks ran on all my staff. He had a pristine record and impressive qualifications that made him entirely appropriate for the job. I had no way of knowing this would happen!” 

“Listen,” the Alpha officer cut in, eyes weary. “I think the best thing to do right now would be for us to finish up watching the security footage, run a patrol of the grounds and the building for any suspicious activity or clues and then pass this on to the FBI. Trafficking rings are, unsurprisingly, the business of law enforcement higher up than Baltimore state police officers. Especially one of this magnitude and the individuals involved. They’ll be concerned that Will was taken again.”

“I imagine you’ll be stationing officers to watch the premises,” Hannibal deadpanned, maintaining his bristled, displeased appearance. “It would seem foolish not to, considering how powerful these people are. If they can swoop in and take Will as easily as they did tonight under the normal security measures Dr. Bloom has in place, I think it would be wise to have some extra security.” 

“Of course, Dr. Lecter,” the Alpha officer agreed. “We’ll have some of our officers stationed here until the FBI decides how to handle this.” 

Will watched them all talking around him, not taking any of it in. He felt their eyes on him, watched them moving, but none of it registered. 

It wasn’t until he felt the pads of two firm but gentle fingers pressing into the pulse of his neck that he was dragged back to what was happening in Alana’s office. Hannibal was stood over him, fingers against his neck whilst he stared intently at the face of his sleek watch on his wrist. 

“What are you doing?” Will rasped. 

“Checking your vitals,” Hannibal murmured. “Alana and I agreed you probably wouldn’t appreciate a nurse fussing over you right now.”   
Will just blinked and stared at Alana. Alana looked away, her eyes filled with tears as she hugged herself. 

“Did you tell Margot what happened?” Will asked bluntly. 

“I told her I had to come to Port Haven for a patient emergency,” Alana sighed, briefly looking over at Will. “I need to call her and tell her what happened.” 

“Don’t let her come here,” Will told the Beta sharply. “I don’t want her here, not now. I don’t feel up to dealing with her.” 

“Of course Will,” Alana conceded, watching Hannibal’s fingers on Will’s neck. 

The Alpha pulled his hand away. “Your pulse is a little slow, but not alarmingly so. Whatever Benedict gave you will most likely wear off within the next twenty four hours. I need to check your temperature and your respiratory rate and a blood test will most likely tell us what drugs he gave you.” 

Will just nodded as Hannibal smoothly checked him over, humming to himself as his feather light touches drifted over Will. He gritted his teeth when he felt the needle sliding into his skin to draw his blood, looking pointedly at Alana. 

“Will,” Alana began when she felt his glare on her again, “please try to understand I’m just as confused as you are.” 

“But I’m _not_ confused,” Will snapped. “It’s quite clear what’s happened. I was kidnapped by some criminal working for a trafficking ring and nearly sold off to some sick Alpha again. Because _you_ hired him. All you’ve done for the whole eight months I’ve been here is tell me I’m safe, Alana. I’ve lost count of how many times you’ve told me that this is the best place for me to be and look at how fucking _wrong_ you were. How could you let this happen?” 

“These are powerful people we’re dealing with Will,” Hannibal interjected. “It would have been easy for them to create a fake persona, steal an identity, whatever it took. They have the resources to infiltrate any hospital.” 

“That doesn’t make this _ok_ ,” Will seethed, clenching his fists. “I blacked out! I don’t know what happened in between leaving Port Haven and waking up at Hannibal’s house! They could have done _anything_ to me!” 

Alana’s eyes widened. “Are you in pain anywhere? I’ll have a full physical examination done for you Will, including a rape kit if you - ”

“Don’t,” Will snarled. “Just stop Alana. I’m not in pain and I’m not letting anyone do a fucking rape kit on me.”

Hannibal was internally grinning like the Cheshire cat. Will was _furious_ at Alana, which only worked in his favour; it would push Will straight into Hannibal’s arms. Alana didn’t have a leg to stand on after this. 

“I have to admit Alana,” Hannibal sighed, “even if you could never have known who Benedict – if that’s really even his name – was, surely your security measures should have been tighter. He virtually walked out of here with Will in his arms and no one knew about it.” 

Alana took a deep breath, as if she was trying not to scream. Hannibal almost felt sorry for her; almost. “The security cameras were all switched off. The officers watching the footage couldn’t find anything on the tapes after the start of Benedict’s shift. He deleted it all, turned the cameras off. The security guard here had no reason to follow Benedict on his night round of the building. It wasn’t until Benedict didn’t come back he realised anything was wrong and he contacted me.” 

“Why did he have access to Will’s room? It was locked,” Hannibal dryly pointed out. 

“All the night staff nurses and orderlies have access to patient bedrooms,” Alana replied weakly. “Hannibal, Will, you can’t begin to imagine how sorry I am about all of this.” 

Will got to his feet. “I don’t care how sorry you are. As far as I’m concerned, you may as well have helped him carry me to his car. I could be getting tied up in some random Alpha’s bed right now Alana!” 

“Will - ”

“No!” the Omega snarled. “I am sick to death of the way you’ve treated me Alana! You float about here like it’s paradise on fucking Earth and like I should _want_ to stay here! You’re so naive to think I was ever going to be safe at Port Haven! I swear to God, I have never looked forwards to anything as much as I’ve looked forwards to the day I’m discharged from here.” 

“You’re over exhausted Will, you’re not thinking straight,” Alana attempted to placate him, stepping forwards. “You’re upset and that’s completely understandable, but I think we should talk about this in the morning.” 

Will’s face was blank. “I want to fucking hit you right now, Alana.”

Hannibal nearly choked on his breath. It was _glorious_ , watching this side of Will come to life. His complete outrage and fiery temper that twisted so delightfully in the dark depths of his mind, snarling and pacing behind his quietly furious exterior. He wanted so badly to watch the Omega fly off the handle, to set his teeth in Alana’s neck and cease her condescending nonsense. He marvelled at their difference; whereas Hannibal was calculated and calm and emotionless in his darkness and violence, Will was as scorching as the sun. He was like wild fire, burning and compassionate. It was the smallest insight Hannibal currently had into what it must have been like when Will killed Mason. 

“I hate it here,” Will spat. “I hate everything about this place. What will it take for you to stop handling me like I’m glass?” 

“I have only ever done what I deemed appropriate for your mental stability Will,” Alana answered back, her expression sour. “You have to understand, as a doctor and your _friend_ , I’ve only ever had your best interests at heart. I’ve done as much as I can to try and help you recover.” 

Will scoffed, and it was scathing. “The only thing you ever did to help me was introduce me to Hannibal. You’re a shitty psychiatrist Alana, for all your care and your fucking naivety. If I hadn’t gotten away tonight, do you know what could have happened to me?” 

“I don’t want to think about what harm could have come to you, Will. I’m just so thankful you’re back and you’re unharmed,” Alana pleaded, her eyes wide. 

“No; let’s think about it,” Will seethed. “Let’s think about the fact I could have been shipped off to the other end of the country or even to a different country. Let’s think about the fact I could be getting raped right now or having the shit beaten out of me. Do you know what they do to Omegas like me, Alana? The ones that get put back into circulation after their first buyer either dies or doesn’t want them anymore?” 

Alana opened her mouth but Will cut her off. 

“Mason told me. He _loved_ to threaten me with it, loved to tell me what would happen if he got bored of me and sent me back to auction,” Will hissed. “Omegas like me, we get bought by Alphas who either want fucking brood mares or Omegas to _kill_.”

Alana reached out a fumbling hand for him. “Please Will. Please just try to calm down.” 

“I was never safe here,” Will growled. “ _Ever_.” 

Neither Alana or Hannibal moved to stop him when he stormed out of Alana’s office, the door slamming behind him. Alana looked as if she might cry. Hannibal was simply focusing his efforts on not grinning like an idiot at the way the night had unfolded. It couldn’t have gone any better.


	21. Twentyfirst

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sex, basically.

Time passed in a blur for Will after that night. He found himself going through the motions of life on autopilot, blinking and waking up to find days upon days had passed. He felt like his waking life was an endless night of fevered dreams and sleep walking. He blinked and found himself with his GED certificate in his hands and night classes over. He blinked and his bags were packed and he was signing his papers for his discharge from Port Haven. He blinked and found himself hanging his measly collection of clothing in the closet next to Hannibal’s impeccable suits. 

“I feel like I’m losing time,” Will found himself murmuring. 

Hannibal looked up from his tablet, hand half paused as he reached for his coffee. “For how long?” 

“Since the night Benedict took me from Port Haven.” 

Hannibal lifted his mug to his mouth slowly and drank. “Have you been discussing this with Alana?” 

Will’s jaw clenched and he looked down. “You know I haven’t. I know that the two of you discuss my therapy still.” 

“Alana is slowly coming to the conclusion that therapy with you is futile and she should refer you to another therapist,” Hannibal informed him. “She says you’ve resorted to your previous behaviour, that you only provide answers she wants to hear and are otherwise mute.” 

“I don’t want to have therapy with her anymore,” Will admitted weakly. “I never have.” 

“Then I’ll prompt her into a referral,” Hannibal conceded. “I could always suggest some therapists I know to her, if you like?” 

“I just wish... I know it’s stupid but I just wish that if I have to have any sort of therapy it could be with you,” Will sighed, rubbing his temples. 

“You know that isn’t possible Will,” Hannibal reminded him gently. “The terms of your discharge from Port Haven were that you must continue with therapy. I cannot be approved of as your therapist, not when we are living together and quite clearly in a relationship.” 

Will squirmed in his seat. “I feel like I’m going to be in therapy for the rest of my life.” 

Hannibal smoothed a broad palmed hand over Will’s fingers as they nervously picked at the skin around his nails. “I know you hate it, mylimasis. But you’d be amazed at how different it can be if you find a therapist who you can form a strong relationship with.” 

“I have a strong relationship with _you_ ,” Will grumbled, threading their fingers together. 

“And you also spend your nights in my bed,” Hannibal grinned wickedly. “Not something social services or the Omega Psychiatric Institute of Baltimore would approve of.” 

Will sighed, getting up from his stool and going to Hannibal, needing to inhale the Alpha’s scent and feel solid heat and muscle under his hands. Hannibal welcomed the embrace, wrapping his arms around the Omega and kissing his forehead. 

“Your upcoming heat is likely a factor as well, Will,” Hannibal reminded him. “Heats affect your mental capacity as much as your physical capacity.” 

“I know,” Will muttered, hiding his face in Hannibal’s neck. “Can you come and lay down with me? I feel _drained_ this morning, I’m sorry.” 

“Of course darling,” Hannibal assured him, shifting from his seat. 

A few minutes later found Will curled in Hannibal’s bed, resting with his head on the doctor’s chest as he ran his hands through his hair and rubbed soothing circles over his back. 

“I’m sorry I’m so needy,” Will mumbled, keeping his eyes firmly shut. “It must get on your nerves so much.” 

“Far from it,” Hannibal disagreed. “I enjoy being able to do small things like this for you. You’re perfectly within your rights to have someone treat you with care, Will.” 

“I’m just still too used to the way Mason was,” Will sighed. “I keep expecting you to start acting like him.” 

“Never,” Hannibal immediately replied, frowning. “Never would I do _anything_ to hurt you Will. It makes my blood boil to think of the way he treated you.” 

“What would you have done?” Will wondered aloud, growing sleepy. “If you’d known me when Mason owned me?” 

“I most definitely would have taken you away from him. I would have killed him for what he did to you,” Hannibal answered honestly. 

Will stayed quiet, listening to the strong thump of Hannibal’s heart beat in his chest. He traced faint patterns against Hannibal’s shirt, staring absentmindedly at the wall ahead of him. “I feel like it should bother me that you so openly admit you would have killed Mason. It doesn’t bother me at all.” 

“Because you got there before anyone else could,” Hannibal murmured. “I suppose it only fair that you were the one who got to decide his fate.” 

“For a therapist you say some extremely immoral and concerning things Hannibal,” Will softly chided. “You kept mine and Margot’s secret, you never breathed a word to the FBI about what really happened to Mason... you completely _violated_ the line between the therapist and patient relationship; bearing in mind I was still a minor at that point too.” 

“That’s all true,” Hannibal agreed. “And yet here you are.” 

“I find myself caring less and less every day about which laws dictate right and wrong, evil and good,” Will admitted. “I can’t bring myself to care about my own moral compass being completely broken.” 

“It’s not broken Will. You decide your own rights and wrongs based on your deepest, rawest emotions,” Hannibal corrected him. “You should never ignore your gut feeling.” 

Will turned slowly, gazing up into his eyes. “Is that so?” 

Hannibal nodded. 

Will paused, searching Hannibal’s face intently. “I see you, Hannibal.” 

Hannibal stiffened against Will’s body, his hand stilling where it rubbed against Will’s back. 

“Don’t worry,” Will breathed. “I don’t see _all_ of you, not just yet. But I see enough.” 

“And what do you see?” Hannibal quietly asked him, studying his storm dark eyes. 

“Enough to know that you’re _dark_ ,” Will murmured. “But I already told you that, told you that it’s like drowning in ink behind your curtain when I pull it back. But my sight is starting to adjust to that darkness, very slowly.” 

Hannibal waited, not breaking his gaze from Will. _You truly are such a wonderful, wonderful boy._

Will shifted up slightly, gripping Hannibal’s shoulder. “You’re alone in your darkness. You always have been; no one has ever been granted access to what’s really in your head because you know they would recoil. Behind all your smiles and your manners, you’re _furious_ at the world.”

“And to think Alana described it as an empathy _disorder_ ,” Hannibal softly replied. “It is a gift, Will.” 

“You keep everyone at arm’s length. Nobody gets to see how disgusted you are with them, they never realise the atrocities they’ve committed,” Will continued. 

“Do _I_ disgust you, Hannibal?” 

Will gasped as the Alpha swiftly gripped onto him and rolled their bodies to pin Will against the bed, hands latched on to his arms and their faces inches apart. 

“You are the one person in my life that doesn’t, Will. Far from it. I find myself wishing to spend every moment possible around you, find myself wondering how I can make you smile every day for the rest of your life.” 

Will’s hands shook as they reached up to touch Hannibal’s face, a sickly combination of his medication and his nerves. He skimmed his fingers tips over Hannibal’s lips and cheekbones. “Hannibal?” 

Hannibal gently caught a finger in his mouth, his eyes patient and listening. 

“I think I love you,” Will found himself saying, the words barely registering as he heard his voice dancing in the air between them. 

Hannibal stilled, looking as if his brain was hot wiring as he decided whether to cry or smile or laugh or _anything_ , anything other than hovering above Will like a statue with his lips parted in sheer shock and joy. 

“I’m sorry,” Will breathed, lowering his lashes. “I shouldn’t have - ”

Hannibal’s lips crushed against his, silencing him. Will’s hands jerked up in surprise before settling into a tight grip in Hannibal’s hair as their lips moved together in a searing, desperate kiss. 

“I’m sorry, I’m an idiot, I should never have said that,” Will rushed out in one breath, breaking away from their kiss. “God, you probably think I’m - ”

“I think you are the most amazing creature I have ever met and I consider myself lucky that you’re here,” Hannibal interrupted him, eyes swimming with overwhelming _feeling_. “And if you wished it Will, I would give you _anything_ , do anything for you. I’ve wanted to offer you my love for so long now, but found myself hesitating. I didn’t think it would be returned.” 

Will smoothed his hands through Hannibal’s hair. “Say it.” 

“I love you, Will.” 

“Say it again.” 

“I love you,” Hannibal breathed. “I love you Will. I love you.” 

Will found his cheeks aching with the smile he bore as he kissed Hannibal until they were both breathless, not stopping even then for air. He found himself wishing he didn’t need air, found himself wishing he could survive simply on Hannibal and Hannibal alone. What else would he ever need? 

 

 

Hannibal was in his office when his cell phone rang. 

Franklyn looked horrified at the sound interrupting his speech, the tears brimming in his eyes spilling down his face. 

“I’m incredibly sorry Franklyn,” Hannibal murmured, retrieving his phone and observing Will’s name on the caller ID. “I’m afraid I must take this call, please excuse me.” 

Hannibal stood and answered the call, retreating to his desk and keeping his back to Franklyn. “Will?” 

“I’m sorry,” Will breathed raggedly down the phone, sounding in pain. “I’m sorry, I know you’re seeing patients and you’re working but I - ”

“It’s alright Will, just tell me what’s wrong,” Hannibal soothed him. 

“My heat,” Will mumbled. “I know I should have waited until you got home but I just... please Hannibal.”

“I’ll be there in thirty minutes,” Hannibal smoothly replied, back stiffening. “Just settle yourself in bed for now, try and rest until I get there.” 

“Thank you,” Will sighed in relief. 

“I’ll see you very soon,” Hannibal told him, hanging up. 

Franklyn looked more neurotic than ever when Hannibal turned and faced him again. Hannibal sighed and braced himself. 

“I’m afraid I must prematurely end our session for today, Franklyn,” Hannibal informed him, gathering his notes as he talked and barely glancing at the Omega. 

“I’m extremely sorry. I will have your session refunded within twenty four hours.” 

“But Dr. Lecter,” Franklyn spluttered, eyes wide and cheeks flushed red. “I really do think I need to finish this session with you! I’m afraid of how unstable I’m feeling and - ”

“Franklyn, I’m afraid I have a personal emergency I cannot ignore,” Hannibal responded curtly, sliding his notes away into his brief case and locking his desk drawers. “I will try and arrange a referral for you this evening if I have the time, if you feel you are in desperate need to talk to a professional.” 

“But I need to talk to _you_ , Dr. Lecter!” Franklyn insisted, getting to his feet. “Dr. Lecter, do your patients not take precedence during your working hours?!”

“My working hours are over, as of now, and will be for the rest of the week,” Hannibal all but spat at the hysterical Omega. “As I said, I have a personal emergency that I cannot ignore and must attend to immediately.” 

Hannibal shrugged his coat on and retrieved the keys to his car. Franklyn’s curled fists trembled. 

“It’s that Omega, isn’t it?” Franklyn accused him, eyes gleaming. “The one at the opera months ago.” 

Hannibal wrenched his office door open, trying his hardest not to glower at his patient. “Please, Franklyn. I must insist you leave my office, otherwise you will find yourself locked in here for a week once I leave and lock up.” 

“This is outrageous,” Franklyn declared, aggressively seizing his coat and storming towards the door where Hannibal lingered. “To think you’re abandoning your practice just to rush to the whims of some - ”

“Franklyn,” Hannibal cut him off, steeling himself. “I will re-arrange our appointment. Until then, you may contact another therapist for appointments if you wish.” 

Hannibal received a glare and nothing else as the man strode from his office, his overly rich and pungent smell tainted with anger and disbelief. Hannibal wrinkled his face at the smell and locked the office up as soon as Franklyn disappeared from sight, gritting his teeth in annoyance. 

Hannibal tried his hardest not to break any laws as he drove back from his office to his house, praying Will was in bed and hadn’t gone wandering outside in some sort of heat induced zombie-like state. 

The Omega, thankfully, was quite clearly still in the house when Hannibal entered. He could smell Will from downstairs, his mouth watering at the thick sweetness swimming in the air of his home. He locked the door behind him and went straight for the stairs, climbing two steps at a time. Hannibal was unused to this fevered frenzy he was acting with, his usual careful and monitored behaviour seeming virtually impossible to employ when he knew Will was writhing in his bed. 

“You came,” Will choked out the moment Hannibal entered his bedroom. 

His lithe, pale form was stretched out in the dark sheets of Hannibal’s bed, a thin sheen of sweat covering his skin and his eyes glassy and heavy. 

“I told you I would,” Hannibal murmured, breathing in deeply. “Of course I came.” 

“Thank you,” Will groaned into his pillow, turning his head away and sucking in the smell of Hannibal on the sheets. “I’m sorry I called whilst you were at work.” 

Hannibal shut the door behind him, placing his brief case down. “Will. Please do not apologise for such pointless things.” 

Will just made a soft whimpering sound in the back of his throat, glancing warily at Hannibal. “I don’t know... know how this is going to be.” 

“Whatever you feel you may need or want, Will, you know you only need to tell me and I will do it,” Hannibal reminded him. “Is there anything you wish for now? When did you last eat or drink anything?” 

“Breakfast with you this morning,” Will told him. “I started feeling weird after you left.” 

Hannibal pursed his lips. “I should have stayed home. I’ve known your heat was approaching for a while now, but I couldn’t detect how quickly it would come upon you.” 

Will shook his head vehemently. “Hannibal, I don’t want to hear you chastising yourself right now. Right now I just want some water and for you to get in bed with me.” 

Hannibal didn’t need to be told twice, swiftly going downstairs to retrieve armfuls of water bottles and cold, pre-prepared meals he’d had stored in the fridge for Will’s heat. He pondered on how he had quite enjoyed Will demanding things from him as he headed back upstairs, unfamiliar with Will ever demanding _anything_ before. He wondered how unrestrained Will would become when he was in throes of it all, completely gripped by his body’s urges and needs once the heat truly settled in. 

Will nearly downed the bottle once he opened it. “Bed.” 

Hannibal smiled in amusement, unlacing his shoes as he sat on the edge of the mattress. Will watched him impatiently, fingernails raking up and down the tops of his arms and leaving red marks in their wake. Hannibal moved to lie down next to the Omega, but a trembling hand pressed back against his chest. 

“I want – I – clothes, off,” Will managed to grit out, frowning and pawing at Hannibal’s clothes insistently. 

Hannibal stripped quickly. 

Will sighed in relief once they lay together, skin on skin, hands reaching for every part of Hannibal in reassurance. Hannibal simply let Will arrange him on his bed, observing the way he fidgeted with the bedding and pillows, uncertainly smoothing out the nesting blanket Hannibal had been keeping folded at the foot of the bed since Will had moved in. 

“You’re unused to nesting,” Hannibal remarked. “Just do whatever feels comfortable, Will.” 

“I know but it’s – it’s _your_ bed,” Will grumbled, curling against Hannibal’s side and running his hands through greying chest hair. 

“I’d like it if you considered it yours, too.” 

Will just made a humming sound into the side of Hannibal’s neck, slotting their legs together. Hannibal encircled him in his arms, letting his scent and warmth wash over Will. Will embraced him back tightly, seeking out as much of Hannibal as he could. The Alpha could smell the heady slick coating the insides of Will’s thighs. 

“Whatever you need Will,” Hannibal murmured. “It’s yours to take.” 

A soft snarl sounded in Will’s throat and Hannibal found the Omega hovering over him, straddling his hips. He met Will half way to kiss him, curling a strong and possessive hand in the curls at the back of his head. Will sighed contently into their kiss, hands bracing against Hannibal’s shoulders. Hannibal settled his other hand against Will’s hip, savouring the taste of him against his tongue. Will began to unconsciously roll his hips slightly against the Alpha, kissing him with harder purpose and biting and nipping at Hannibal’s lower lip. 

Hannibal gave up attempting to control the snarling, gnashing Alpha instincts that were screaming inside of him and gripped Will tight enough to bruise as he rolled them to pin Will down beneath him on the bed, burying his face in his neck and leaving a necklace of mottled bruises there, biting and sucking the pale expanse of skin quivering under his mouth. Will sighed in bliss, fingers gliding along the broad planes of Hannibal’s back, shivering in delight at the way the muscles rippled as Hannibal shifted above him. Hands wandered everywhere, followed by lips, and within minutes Will was dizzy and almost certain there wasn’t an inch of him that hadn’t been bitten, kissed and caressed. 

It was beyond satisfying to hear the strangled moan that broke free from Will when Hannibal sank down onto Will’s straining length, humming at the hot flesh in his mouth. Will gripped the sheets tightly in his bunched up fists, face contorting with spasms of pleasure as Hannibal swirled his tongue over the head of his cock, hollowing his cheeks out and sucking hard on his member. He tried not to kick Hannibal as his legs flailed out when a finger gently dipped inside of him. Hannibal did nothing to stop the growl that rolled in his throat, vibrating against Will’s flesh and making the Omega buck underneath him. 

Will attempted to warn Hannibal that his orgasm was approaching, but two more fingers sank inside of him and he froze as they immediately sought out his prostate. With an unexpected burst of heat flaring through his groin and the pressure of Hannibal’s wet mouth lavishing his cock, Will cried out as he began to shake with his orgasm, coming down Hannibal’s throat as a gush of slick pushed past the Alpha’s fingers and stained his bed sheets. 

He spent the next thirty minutes cradled against Hannibal’s chest, nose buried into the dip between his shoulder and neck and listening to the doctor’s heart beat. Hannibal murmured to him in a soft, purring language he couldn’t understand, stroking his hair and circling his fingers over the nape of his neck where his mating gland was until the next wave of heat hit. 

Hannibal attempted to bring Will to orgasm through his mouth and hands again until Will snarled at him and outright demanded that he fuck him. 

“I swear if you don’t fuck me into the bed right _now_ breathe again when Hannibal sank into him, easing the fire that licked along his skin and the itch than nestled in his veins. Hannibal pulled in and out of him in firm, strong strokes and it was _perfect_ , perfect except for the aching need to feel a set of teeth sinking into the back of his neck. 

Will threaded his fingers through Hannibal’s hair, keeping their upper halves tightly knitted together as the Alpha pushed into him steadily. 

“No matter what I say about bonding or even if I beg you to bite me, ignore me,” Will hissed in his ear as Hannibal rolled his hips. 

“You have my word, mylimasis,” Hannibal rumbled into the side of Will’s neck.

 

 

Will lasted twenty four hours until he was begging for Hannibal to bond with him. 

“ _Please_ \- fuck, please Hannibal, I _need_ you to, I need you to bite - ”

Hannibal silenced him with a bruising kiss, grunting as he thrust forwards into Will. The second day of Will’s heat was proving to be intense, the Omega stirring every two hours or so and seeking out Hannibal’s warmth with insistent kisses and roaming hands. He’d mounted Will countless time today, gripping the boy’s waist as he snapped his hips against his behind as he presented for him on his hands and knees, the bed creaking in protest beneath them and thumping against the wall. 

Will’s fingers were knotted and white knuckled as they twisted in the sheets and clutched at pillows, his eyes filled with tears as he bit down on whatever fabric was in front of his face. Sweat had plastered his hair against his scalp and hair line, damp curls stuck to his forehead as his eyes rolled in pleasure. 

“Hush, Will,” Hannibal murmured quietly but firmly, grinding against Will. 

“But I _need_ you to, _please_!” Will sobbed. “God, I want you to, please! Please Hannibal, _please_!” 

Hannibal growled, digging his fingers into Will’s mating gland. “No, Will. We agreed on this.” 

Will nearly wailed. 

Hannibal just made soothing little sounds for him as he eased his knot into the Omega, sighing in satisfaction as he released inside of Will. His body milked Hannibal’s knot for seed it would not receive, desperate for the pair to be bonded and mated in ways they couldn’t. 

Will settled for gentle kisses to his mating gland as he clenched around Hannibal’s knot through the condom, the Alpha settling them onto their sides as they waited for his knot deflate and to sleep. 

 

 

On the third day, Will hallucinated. 

Hannibal paused when he noted how quiet and rigid Will had gone whilst he hooked Will’s leg over his shoulder, kissing his ankle and circling his hips as he rocked into Will’s tight, wet heat. 

“Will?” Hannibal asked, slowing his thrusts. “Are you alright?” 

“Yes Mason.” 

Hannibal froze. “Will?” 

Will blinked, his eyes glassy as he stared forwards at nothing and remained statue still. Hannibal pulled out, smoothing Will’s hair away from his face. Will remained on his back with his legs raised and bent at the knees, hands still besides him. 

“Will, can you hear me? Do you know where you are?” 

“I can hear you. We’re in my room, like always,” Will breathed, still staring ahead at nothing. “Why have you stopped?” 

“Because you just called me Mason.”

“That’s your name,” Will replied, monotone and flat. “Would you like me to call you something else?” 

“Will, you’re hallucinating,” Hannibal murmured softly. “I’m not Mason, I’m Hannibal. You’re at my home in Baltimore and Mason is dead.” 

“What a strange thing to say,” Will commented quietly. “Have I done something wrong?” 

Hannibal’s hand slid down to Will’s neck and the Omega’s breath caught in his throat. “Will, I need you to try and focus on where you are and who you are with. Mason is not here, do you understand?” 

“I don’t understand why you’re saying all this Mason,” Will replied, swallowing. “Please just... I’m sorry, please tell me what I did wrong?” 

“Nothing, Will, you have done - ”

“If it’s about the last miscarriage I promise, I promise this time we’ll have the baby,” Will rambled breathlessly, eyes beginning to swim with panic. 

“It’s alright darling,” Hannibal sighed, hand slipping around the back of Will’s neck and seeking out his mating gland. “Sleep, Will.” 

A firm kneading of Will’s mating gland was all it took for Will to curl into Hannibal’s side with a whimper and lie there shaking as he drifted into blackness. He woke up a few hours later, snarling and clawing at Hannibal until he realised who he was and where he was. Hannibal attempted to gentle him, but the Omega shook him off and straddled his lap to ride him aggressively, crying the whole time about wanting Hannibal to bond with him. 

 

 

On the fourth day, Will was content with slow, sleepy mating. They mainly fucked laying on their sides as Hannibal mouthed at his mating gland and lazily fucked Will into soft, glowing ecstasy. Will came with shuddering gasps and quiet moans, smiling hazily as Hannibal’s velvety voice purred affection and endearment in what Will assumed was Lithuanian. Hannibal mapped out the lines and starbursts of bruises, teeth marks and scratches on Will’s body in fascination. 

“Normally I used to dread seeing the marks Mason left on me after heats,” Will told him as Hannibal cradled him to his chest. “I _like_ seeing the marks you leave.” 

Hannibal merely responded with a rumble in his chest and scraping his teeth against Will’s ear lobe. 

 

 

On the fifth day, Will woke up clear headed and content despite the aches in his body. He _reeked_ of Hannibal and it was glorious; there were finger shaped bruises all over his hips and neck and wrists and he wanted nothing more than to parade those marks in front of the whole of Baltimore. _See? I’m owned, claimed, mated; Hannibal is all mine._ Except there was no bond bite at the back of his neck, despite the bruising around it. He was most definitely not bonded to the Alpha, and whilst his mind forced him to count through the numerous reasons why this was a _good_ thing that they were not bonded, he couldn’t help the sad and mournful part of him that lamented the lack of their bonding. 

For a moment, Will allowed himself to imagine what it would be like if he and Hannibal bonded during his next heat. He smiled the whole time he thought about it.


	22. Twentysecond

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack is clutching at straws, the Ripper rips and Will makes a leap of faith.

Jack Crawford looked decidedly unimpressed as he settled into the bar stool at the island in Hannibal’s kitchen, his lips tightened into a disapproving grimace. His eyes were dark as they followed Will carefully making coffee with Hannibal’s contraption – what was wrong with regular old filter coffee? Will wondered –, his hands folded together on the counter top. 

“I have to admit, I was surprised when Alana told me you’d come to live with Dr. Lecter,” Jack uttered, breaking the awkward silence in the kitchen. 

Will shrugged, briefly glancing up at the Alpha. “Well, I’m not surprised that you’re surprised.” 

“I didn’t realise the extent of your... friendship with Hannibal.” 

Will’s eyes flashed in warning when he looked up again. “Oh?” 

“You must realise how it looks,” Jack replied, frowning. “Your Alpha doctor moving you into his house after you get discharged from a psychiatric facility?” 

Will admitted it was maybe a little unnecessary how harshly he set down Jack’s coffee in front of him. “No, I understand completely. But Hannibal was never my doctor, not in the way Alana was.”

“Technically, he’s not breaking any laws, but...” 

“No, he’s not; which is why I don’t understand why you’re talking about it like there’s an _issue_ , Agent Crawford,” Will said sharply, angrily adding sugar to his coffee. 

“Because there’s room for reasonable doubt that from his position of power and responsibility for you, he coerced you into a relationship,” Jack answered bluntly, jaw set firmly. 

“Hannibal did not coerce me into anything,” Will gritted out, gripping his mug tightly. “Look Agent Crawford, if you came here just to interrogate me about my relationship with Hannibal, which is quite frankly none of your business, then I’m afraid you’re wasting your time.” 

Jack didn’t bother to cover up his obvious irritation at Will’s response. “Please, Will. Call me Jack. And I didn’t come here just to enquire about your relationship with Hannibal.” 

“Then why _are_ you here, Jack?” 

“Because the man who kidnapped you from Port Haven last month was discovered dead last night.” 

Jack sighed at the pained look on Will’s face once he’d gotten his sentence out, reaching down to retrieve the manila envelope he’d brought with him. Will paled visibly, setting down his mug of coffee and gripping the counter top so tightly his knuckles turned white. Jack slid the envelope across the counter to him slowly, watching his face. 

“I’m breaking a lot of rules here, Will,” Jack warned him. “I shouldn’t be showing you these files.” 

“You want me to look at them. Why?” 

“Because you were one of the last people to see him.” 

“I really do hope you’re not insinuating that _I_ had anything to do with - ”

“No, Will, I’m not suggesting you had anything to do with his murder,” Jack interrupted. “But I want to ask you if you’ll lend me your sight. Take a look at the file and tell me if you can pick up on anything that we can’t.” 

Will crossed his arms tightly over his chest. “You’re the FBI. Why are you asking a completely unqualified stranger to look at crime scene photographs and reports?” 

“Because you’re an unqualified stranger who has an uncanny ability to get inside of the heads of killers and _see_ why they did what they did, how they did it.” 

“I’m not a tool, Jack. Does Dr. Bloom know you were planning on visiting me?” 

“No. No doubt she’d tell me that I’d be disrupting your mental wellbeing and emotional recovery by showing you files like this.” 

“She would,” Will replied curtly. “Jack, I can’t help you.” 

“Can’t?” Jack grimaced. “Or won’t?”

“Both,” Will nearly hissed at him, his temper growing short at the Alpha’s insistence. “I don’t want anything to do with this. I don’t want to know what happened to him, I don’t want to know anything about the entire ring. Why is that so hard for you to grasp?” 

Jack raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. “I thought you would care. I thought you’d want to help, that you wouldn’t want any other Omegas falling into the hands of these criminals.” 

“What does Benedict Davies’ death have to do with more Omegas getting snatched and sold?” Will snapped. “Just because he died doesn’t mean the ring is going to collapse, they’re going to carry on operating as usual!”

“His name wasn’t Benedict Davies,” Jack corrected him. “That was just a stolen identity he was using whilst he was working at Port Haven. His real name was Gabriel Brandt.” 

“So what?” Will sighed impatiently. “Of course it was a fake name. Jack, if you want this ring to get shut down maybe you need to start by taking a look at the fucking sleazy Alphas in elite social circles all over this country who are getting away with _purchasing_ Omegas like they’re fucking cattle - ”

“I understand you’re angry about what happened to you, Will,” Jack interrupted, glowering. “But there’s only so much _I_ can do. I’m behavioural sciences, not organised crime. I’m only involved in this because one of the ring’s major operators was butchered and strung up like an animal.” 

“I don’t want to know Jack.” 

“Just look. Please.” 

Will shook his head and steeled himself as he all but snatched the file from Jack. “Once. I will do this _once_ for you, Jack, and only because I know it’s the only way to get you out of this house.” 

Jack smiled encouragingly as Will’s shaking fingers spread reports and photographs across the counter. Will didn’t meet his eyes, choosing instead to focus on squashing down the nausea swelling in his chest at the sight of Gabriel Brandt’s body. The glossy photographs seared themselves into Will’s brain as he studied them. Brandt had been displayed in an empty room in John Hopkins, forced into a position of submission on his hands and knees strung up with wires; it was the classic Omegan pose of presentation when in heat. He’d been skinned with meticulous precision, including his scalp. He skin lay in a neatly folded pile by the door. Around him in the most wondrous mosaic was hundreds upon hundreds of dollar bills, sitting around him in an expanding circle with Brandt at the very centre. He was missing organs too; his liver, kidneys and intestines had disappeared. 

“What killed him?” Will murmured quietly. 

“He was drained of his blood, completely,” Jack informed him. “But after we got his body into the lab, we found he’d been through a lot more than that before he died.” 

“Tell me.” 

“His killer broke almost every bone in his body. The little blood samples we managed to get indicated he’d been kept awake with adrenaline, stimulants. Hallucinogenics , that kind of thing. He was awake when the killer removed his organs and when he was skinned. His lungs contained water and we found bruising that indicates he was water boarded at some point too. After his intestines were removed the killer extracted his eyeballs and forced him to eat them.”

“The killer had him locked away for at least a few weeks.”

“It was a drawn out process of torture before he died, yes.” 

The sound of a car door shutting in the garage had Will nearly jumping out his seat as he startled, Jack’s head quickly snapping round. 

“I presume that’s Dr. Lecter coming home?” Jack enquired, not bothering to hide his disapproval in his voice. 

Will nodded, turning his gaze back on the photos before him. “What... what ward was this room in?” 

“The neonatal ward. It was right next to the room where several infants were being treated.” 

The door opened to reveal Hannibal as Will’s heart sank in his chest and his lungs tightened. 

“Agent Crawford,” Hannibal smiled pleasantly, rising an eyebrow in surprise. “A surprise visit?” 

“Something like that, Dr. Lecter,” Jack responded. “I thought I’d drop by and see how Will was doing.” 

Will was currently gripping the photographs in his hands so tightly the images were in danger of being ripped in two. His chest was heaving, his eyes glazed over and blank as he lips fell open slightly in horror. 

“Will?” Hannibal called out, moving to his side the moment he noticed the tense coil of Will’s rigid spine and the waves of pure _fear_ rolling off of his scent. 

Hannibal nearly snarled when he saw the crime scene photographs. “What is this, Agent Crawford?” 

“I wanted to borrow Will’s insight,” Jack replied, unashamed and hard faced as Will tried to kill the pathetically Omegan distressed whimpers in his throat. “His kidnapper was found in John Hopkins last night.” 

“And you thought it _appropriate_ to show him such graphic photographs?” Hannibal snapped, not bothering to stop his lip from curling up as he bristled, snatching the photos from Will’s white hands. 

“I can’t do this Jack,” Will whispered, his voice barely audible. 

“Will, you haven’t even _tried_ , I’ve seen what you can do,” Jack insisted, eye gleaming. “Maybe if you came to the crime scene and experienced it for yourself you’d be able to - ”

“If I go to a neonatal ward full of premature babies fighting for life to see where the man who kidnapped me and was going to sell me was displayed? Are you even _listening_ to yourself right now, Jack?” Will spat, thrusting the file back at the Alpha. “If I go to your damn crime scene I’ll be leaving in a straight jacket to Port Haven.” 

“You don’t know that,” Jack argued, leaning forwards. “You’re stronger than you think Will.” 

“You don’t even know me!” Will snarled, throwing his hands up in desperation. “You wouldn’t have come here if you did! Do you honestly think I can walk in there and work out who killed Brandt? It’s too much Jack, it’s too close to home.” 

“I think,” Hannibal interjected, placing himself between Jack and Will, “it would be best if the FBI kept their crime scenes to themselves and didn’t call upon the assistance of someone who is technically a victim in all of this, who is far from capable of facing scenes that would only cause a major setback in their recovery. Will’s stability is not something I will allow you to be detrimental to, Agent Crawford.” 

Jack rose to his fee from his stool. “And what position are you saying that from, Dr. Lecter? Will’s guardian? His doctor? His _mate_? Because as far as I know, you’re none of those things.” 

“Please, Agent Crawford,” Hannibal smiled tightly. “I don’t wish to stir up any animosity. I’m simply speaking from a medical point of view and as someone who cares greatly about Will’s wellbeing. Forcing him into situations where there are sources of extreme stress with the possibility of causing even more damage to his recovery would be unacceptable. Surely you can understand my concerns?” 

“And my concerns are getting a serial killer behind bars where he can’t take any more lives,” Jack replied lowly. “Will can help with that.” 

Will stood up, moving from behind Hannibal to look Jack in the eye. “No, Jack. I can’t help you. It’s too much and I shouldn’t even be involved in this in the first place.” 

Jack shook his head slowly. “You’re wasting your gift Will. You could be helping to save lives.” 

Will swallowed down the lump that formed in his throat and blinked past the stinging tears in his eyes. “I’m trying to save my _own_.” 

Hannibal saw Jack out after that, the other Alpha finally relenting when Will refused to budge from his stance. At the door way, Jack paused and eyed Hannibal up and down before he turned to leave and get into his car. 

“I hope you know what you’re doing Dr. Lecter,” Jack murmured. 

“In what sense, Agent Crawford?” Hannibal replied tersely. 

“In regards to Will Graham.” 

Hannibal paused, his face infuriatingly polite and neutral as he stared back at Jack. “I’d like to suggest that you do not seek Will’s assistance on any further instances such as this one. Placing him in environments in which he is faced with acts of violence and murder are damaging to his mental state. His empathy will always make him suffer far more greatly than you or I ever will, Jack.” 

“Will is too compassionate to refuse to help,” Jack argued, frowning. “And it comes to him as naturally as breathing air does. I see no reason why he can’t lend his insight.” 

“The reason why is because Will can’t walk away from even the simplest every day interactions without taking a small piece of the other person with him. Do you realise what it would do to him to walk away taking pieces of a killer’s mind? After everything that’s happened to him Jack, it’s a small miracle he’s a stable as he is. I think we’d all do well to remember precisely what happened to him on Muskrat Farm.” 

Jack said nothing, sighing as he looked down at his hands twisting his car keys around. “I thought I’d give you a heads up, Dr. Lecter. Our agents are going to be interviewing individuals with medical backgrounds in the Baltimore area over the next couple of weeks.” 

Hannibal quirked an eyebrow. “May I ask why?” 

“Because the person who killed Gabriel Brandt also killed Peter Rosenthal, Simon Kingston and Marie de la Cruz – I assume you heard about her, the woman found in the aquarium.” 

“I hear she was transformed into some sort of mermaid.” 

“All of these victims were tortured prior to their deaths. All of them had organs removed and were then displayed in public places for us to find. The precision and attention to detail on the bodies is painstakingly accurate and clinical. Someone who’s used to operating on and dealing with the human body killed these people.” 

“I fall into that category then,” Hannibal replied dryly, whilst inside a warm fire burned in his chest at the absolute glee he felt at Crawford’s descriptions. 

“Your background as a surgeon means we have to,” Jack admitted. “It’s nothing to worry about though. Just procedure.” 

Hannibal smiled. “I’ll be expecting a visit from one of your agents then, Jack.”

 

 

Two weeks later, Miriam Lass’s missing person report was filed. 

 

 

“Where were you?” 

Hannibal paused as he was midway through removing his coat. “Good evening Will. Or rather good morning.” 

They both glanced to the clock which signalled 4:50 am. 

Will waited in silence, clasping his mug between his hands. Chamomile and something tea. Hannibal said he’d grow to like the taste. He was still trying to find it in himself to like it. 

“A patient called my emergency number. A suicide attempt,” Hannibal lied. “I had to attend to them. I didn’t want to wake you, mylimasis.” 

“How are they?” Will murmured, glancing down at the tea. 

“I got there in time,” Hannibal murmured, moving closer to twine his hands through Will’s hair and inhaling deeply at the Omega’s scent. “They’re on suicide watch at the hospital now.” 

“Does that happen often?” Will asked. “It’s not the first time I’ve woken up and you haven’t been there.” 

“More often than you would think,” Hannibal lied once again. “However sometimes I do rise early for other reasons; a sudden burst of inspiration for a new composition on the harpsichord, new research ideas...” 

“I thought I wouldn’t mind waking up alone,” Will said quietly, letting Hannibal press kisses to his temple and forehead. “It seems I’ve gotten used to being around you rather quickly.” 

“I’m flattered you’re so comfortable around me,” Hannibal told him, stroking down Will’s neck. “However, I am sorry you woke alone. I hope it wasn’t too distressing.” 

Will remained silent, raising the cup to his lips to sip the too-hot chamomile and something-or-other tea. Hannibal continued to sigh gently as he scented Will, hands caressing over his shoulders and lips fluttering over his skin. 

“Do you think...,” Will began but trailed off, frowning at the mug. “Never mind.” 

“What is it?” Hannibal pressed. 

“It’s not important,” Will mumbled. 

“Will,” Hannibal smiled gently, his eyes soft with fondness, adoration. “It is _always_ important when you fail to finish your sentence and tell me it’s not important.” 

Will sucked in a shuddering breath. “Margot came by the other day.” 

“I thought she had,” Hannibal murmured. _I smelt her. Your skin smelt of frost and winter berries and infertility._

“She...,” Will trailed off again. “God, I’m sorry. I’m making a mess of this.” 

“Take your time,” Hannibal soothed him. “Perhaps we should return to bed and you can think about how you wish to tell me about whatever is troubling you.” 

“I don’t want any more time to think about it,” Will said forcefully, pulling away from Hannibal to get to his feet, chamomile tea abandoned on the counter. “I’ve been thinking about it since I woke up and you weren’t here.” 

Hannibal went still, waiting. 

Will took a deep breath again, trying to gather himself. “I realised, when I woke up and you were gone. I realised exactly how I feel. What I want.” 

“And what is it that you want, mylimasis?” 

Will swallowed, his eyelids fluttering shut. “ _You_.” 

Hannibal stepped forwards cautiously, taking Will’s hand in between his two large ones. “You already have me. Completely.” 

Will’s eyes opened, swimming with ocean blue. “I don’t though, do I? Margot pointed it out to me. She was talking about how she feels she doesn’t really have Alana, not truly. They aren’t bonded, after all. And then when I woke up tonight and I turned expecting to see you laid down next to me and you _weren’t_ \- it made me realise I’m terrified of losing you. Of losing this.” 

Hannibal raised the Omega’s hand to his face, folding Will’s fingers to cup around his cheek as he kissed his wrist. “You won’t lose me Will. I’ve promised you that from the beginning.” 

“Then bond with me.” 

A single, rapid heartbeat of silence, as Hannibal realised just how badly he’d been _yearning_ to hear Will say those words since he first laid eyes upon him in Port Haven, and then he was drawing Will closer, pressed flush against his body and kissing him like his entire life depended on it. Will made a startled gasp into the kiss, hands flying out to steady himself on Hannibal’s chest and shoulders. He sank into the kiss moments later, moaning softly as Hannibal gently nicked his lower lip, softly exploring Will’s mouth with his tongue and sliding their lips together in a perfectly timed waltz. 

Will’s hands scrambled at the Alpha’s clothes, pushing them away insistently. Hannibal obliged quickly, shedding his shirt before his own hands sought out the hem of Will’s soft cotton t-shirt and yanked it up over his head, tossing it to the side. Will’s purr of satisfaction at the feel of their torsos pressed together had Hannibal gripping the band of Will’s boxer shorts and slipping his fingers beneath the edge of them. Will pressed against him harder whilst he fumbled with Hannibal’s belt buckle, working it open and then fighting with the button and fly of his dress pants. 

Hannibal’s teeth sank into the junction of Will’s shoulders as they undressed, hands curling around the Omega’s waist and hoisting him up on the counter of the island, bringing their groins flush together and drawing a soft, strangled gasp from Will’s lips. There was a livid reddish-purple bruise on Will’s creamy skin when Hannibal pulled away, the sight of it making him want to growl and sink his teeth back into Will until he hit bone. Will’s hands clutched the sides of Hannibal’s head, holding him in place as they fervently kissed in a frenzied state and Hannibal slid his fingertips through the pooling slick between Will’s legs. 

He pushed two fingers inside of the Omega, smiling at the trembling whimper it elicited from Will. He worked him open quickly, neither of them caring about the finesse of it all right then; Will was practically clawing at Hannibal’s bare shoulders and biting at his lips, snarling softly into his mouth as Hannibal scissored his fingers and returned his bruising kisses. 

Will threw his head back, his mouth open slack as his brow furrowed in pleasure when Hannibal lined himself up and eased his cock into Will’s blissfully tight, velvet heat. 

“ _Yes_ ,” Will hissed, tearing the skin on Hannibal’s shoulders his nails dug in so tightly. 

Hannibal reclaimed his mouth in a searing kiss, setting up a brutal pace as he snapped his hips and thrust into Will with a possessive force. Will scrambled for purchase on the counter, arms stretching behind him and bent at the elbows as he was fucked on the edge of the island, the cool marble stinging the warmth of his skin on his back and buttocks. 

Hannibal’s grip was like a vice on his hips, adding to the collection of claiming mottled, purple flowers there already from all the previous times they’d fucked like this. 

“Mine,” he snarled against Will’s lips, moving a hand to grab a fistful of curls. 

Will groaned, his elbows giving way and he slumped back to lay flat over the counter on his back, staring up at Hannibal with half lidded eyes, face contorted in pleasure. “Yours, _always_.” 

The heat building in his stomach was too much and he squirmed fitfully against the marble island counter top, rocking up to meet Hannibal’s thrusts. The Alpha snarled and snatched Will’s legs up from around his waist to push them back against Will’s chest, titling him up and allowing him to thrust into him deeper. Will’s eyes were rolling his head, bloodied nails raking over Hannibal’s forearms. 

“Knot me,” Will whispered, swallowing as his skin shone with a sheen of sweat from the heat of their fucking. 

Hannibal leant down further, mouth latching on to the side of Will’s throat as he curled his fist around his cock, stroking him skilfully in time with his thrusts. Will’s strangled moan made Hannibal sink his teeth in further, sucking violently against the beautifully scented skin of his neck. The Omega arched up against him, back rising up off the counter as he twisted underneath Hannibal. Hot, pulsing liquid spilled over his fist as Will came, whimpering and spasming as his orgasm washed over him. 

Hannibal swore his vision blurred as he came, pressing his knot past the taut muscle of Will’s opening and filling the Omega. They gasped and moaned in unison, hands scrambling to clutch tighter at each other with racing hearts and messy kisses. 

Later, as Hannibal carried Will towards the stairs in his arms with the Omega’s head nestled in the crook of his neck, Will’s hand curled around his throat. 

“I take it that was a yes,” Will whispered. 

Hannibal laughed into his curls as he nudged the bedroom door open and laid him back down in his - _their_ \- bed. “If you need me to vocalise it, then yes; I want to bond with you Will, more than anything.” 

Will clung to him as he lowered himself down to lay next to him, wrapping his arms tightly around Will’s smaller frame. “Thank you Hannibal.” 

“I should be the one expressing gratification, mylimasis,” Hannibal purred, nosing at Will’s pulse in his neck. “It is a gift.” 

The bedroom grew quiet again in the dark, and Hannibal was certain Will had fallen back asleep when there was nothing but easy, gentle breathing filling the room after a while.

“I keep wondering what would have happened to me if I never met you,” Will murmured in the silence. “It makes me feel sick.” 

“What do you envisage would have happened?” 

“I’d still be at Port Haven,” Will sighed. “That’s for sure. Unless I totally lost my grip and tried to kill myself.” 

Hannibal went rigid. “It pains me to think of you hurting that much Will.” 

“What reason would I have had though, realistically?” Will wondered aloud. “I have no family and I owe Margot and Alana nothing. Not enough to stay alive for, anyway. I often think the only thing keeping me focused in those first few months after Mason and Jasper died was you. I didn’t like you, really, to begin with.” 

“I know you didn’t,” Hannibal smiled gently in the darkness. “You were uncomfortable around me.” 

“I’ve always known where to put myself,” Will confessed. “You made me feel like I’d never find that place again. I always knew my place with my dad, with Mason and Margot, with Alana... it wasn’t so simple with you.” 

“And now?” 

“Now I know it’s here, besides you. That’s my place,” Will told him softly, pressing his lips to Hannibal’s jaw. “It was so confusing for so long. Knowing you were in this bizarre sort of authority role but not really, not like Alana ever was; just hanging in between the whole time, treating me like no one else ever has before. You never pitied me or ever did anything condescending. You never tried to control me like everyone else.” 

“I think you would have gone for my jugular if I had ever tried to control you,” Hannibal teased him. “But even so, I have never had the desire to control you, Will. I will admit though, I’m consumed daily with the want to treat you in ways I shouldn’t.” 

“What sort of ways?” Will asked cautiously. 

“I wish to possess you,” Hannibal answered simply. “To keep you to myself at all times. It’s like something at the back of my mind is constantly longing to be the only thing you will ever need or want, to keep you by my side and watch you flourish.” 

Will paused, the only sound their breath and heartbeats. “If I should find that idea unappealing, I don’t. It sounds awful but the thought of being somebody that you obsess over is... comforting.” 

“I could delve deeper into that and analyse your childhood attachment issues and your obvious unhealthy relationship and bond with Mason, but I won’t,” Hannibal chided him lightly. “I think you’d throw me out of bed.” 

“I would,” Will laughed in response. “You know better than to psychoanalyse me.” 

Hannibal’s fingers ghosted over his face in the dark, tracing each dip and line of Will’s bone structure. Their breathing slowed into synchronisation, sleep tugging at their minds. 

“I promise to be whatever you need me to, Will,” Hannibal murmured as they drifted. 

“Just do me a favour and let me know if you have any plans to lock me inside a room for three years after we’re mated,” Will muttered sarcastically. “I can’t promise it’ll be easy for me all the time Hannibal. I’m sorry.” 

“I know,” he reassured the Omega. “Bonding after the death of your first mate is not something I expect to be simple for you, despite the things Mason did to you. It would be difficult for any Omega. But you get a little better every day, even if you don’t realise it. And if your next heat comes and you’ve changed your mind then I will - ”

“Hannibal,” Will cut him off. “I was _begging_ you to bond me during my last heat. I’m not going to change my mind. If anything I’m only going to be even more in love with you when my next heat hits.” 

“Beautiful boy,” Hannibal murmured in fascination as he stroked Will’s cheekbones with his thumbs. “You’re truly wonderful, Will, do you know that?” 

Will shifted forwards and pressed their lips together tenderly. “You’re an idiot. I’m going to pass out now, if that’s alright with you. I’m pretty exhausted.” 

“Of course, mylimasis,” Hannibal grinned. “I’m sorry you woke up on your own. I’ll try to make sure it doesn’t happen again, suicidal patients permitting.” 

Will responded with a soft, sleep addled grumble and burrowed further into Hannibal’s arms. 

 

 

 

“Nothing? Not even a damn strand of hair?!” 

Beverly winced, pausing to look up at Jack from where she crouched. “If there is, we haven’t found it yet Jack. We’re being as thorough as ever.” 

Beverly was pretty sure Jack’s ears would be emitting steam right now if it were possible. Jack pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath, eyes shut. Beverly got to her feet, ignoring the seething Alpha to step back and observe the tableaux once more. 

The couple, an Alpha and a Beta, had been displayed in a gory homage to Rodin’s _The Kiss_. The Beta, a young man in his mid twenties, had been identified as Martin Kershaw. His mate, an older Alpha female, had been identified as Serena Kershaw. Their tongues had been harvested along with cuts of muscles on their thighs and backs. They been sewn together to keep them in their position, their lips sealed together with resin. They looked oddly peaceful, Beverly thought. 

She glanced over at Jack, wondering if he was about to self implode. He was taking Miriam’s disappearance hard; he’d pushed her to follow a lead she’d picked up on, told her to trust her gut. And now she was gone, as if she’d never even existed, and everyone on the team knew Jack felt responsible. Jack’s boss was raining down _hard_ on him after all; Miriam hadn’t even become an agent yet, still a trainee. 

Turning her attention back to the deceased couple in front her, Beverly sighed deeply. Lounds had somehow sunk her claws into the case and now their killer was being dubbed as the Chesapeake Ripper. The Ripper had been killing in sets of three, they’d realised, but this had thrown them off. They’d all assumed Gabriel Brandt had been the first of another set of three, after Marie de la Cruz had been the last victim around Christmas time. Except this time, they were faced with _two_ corpses, not one. Did this count as two in one go? Was there going to be another murder? 

Questions swirling around her head, Beverly headed back over to Zeller to help him take samples before Jack could lash out at her again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'The Kiss'  by Rodin mentioned in this chapter :)


End file.
